Houston Astros vs
Pittsburgh PiratesPredictions & Preview

Houston Astros Face Tough Challenge Against Pittsburgh Pirates' Strong Pitcher, Skenes, in Opening Game of Interleague Series

The Houston Astros will face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the opening game of a three-game early week interleague series. The Astros are coming off a split series with Tampa Bay while the Pirates fell to San Diego in their previous game. Pittsburgh is the betting favorite for this matchup with Lance McCullers Jr. starting for the Astros and Paul Skenes starting for the Pirates. Last season, the Pirates took two of three games in their most recent series against the Astros.

Betting Odds

• Moneyline: Astros +122 | Pirates -142
• Spread: Astros +1.5 (-176) | Pirates -1.5 (+155)
• Total: Over/Under 7.5 (-110)
• Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that Pittsburgh will win straight-up is 59%.

Houston vs Pittsburgh Stats

Houston Astros

Houston split a four-game series with the Rays, winning a low-scoring pitchers' duel in the series finale. The Astros are currently 32-27 and stand second in the AL West, half a game behind Seattle. Despite only recording four hits in the game against Tampa Bay, Jeremy Pena had two of them. The Astros struggled with runners in scoring position, going just one for 10 and leaving seven runners on base. Hunter Brown earned the win with six shutout innings, while Josh Hader secured his 15th save of the year. Lance McCullers Jr. is expected to start for the Astros, looking to improve upon his 0-1 record and 5.89 ERA this season. Houston is ranked 21st in offense, 10th in defense, and has a power ranking of 7.

Pittsburgh Pirates Analysis

The Pittsburgh Pirates dropped two of three games against San Diego, with Andrew McCutchen and Adam Frazier hitting home runs in the final game. Despite the loss, pitcher Andrew Heaney had a solid performance. Paul Skenes is set to start the next game, boasting a 4-5 record and impressive stats. The Pirates currently have a power ranking of 25 and are struggling offensively, ranking 29th in the league. Their defense is stronger, ranked 15th. In their last three matchups, Houston won two out of three games against Pittsburgh.

Houston Astros Face Challenges as Key Players are Absent; Face Strong Pitcher in Upcoming Game

The Houston team is currently facing challenges due to key absences in both their lineup (Yordan Alvarez, Chas McCormick) and rotation (Ronel Blanco, Luis Garcia, Cristian Javier, Spencer Arrighetti). It is uncertain how much more setbacks they can endure. Despite the advantage of playing against a struggling Pittsburgh team offensively, they must contend with the formidable presence of pitcher Skenes, known for his consistently strong performances. McCullers Jr. displayed a solid performance against the Athletics in his recent start, yet his tendency to not pitch deep into games adds pressure on the Astros' bullpen. The upcoming game has the potential for Skenes to dominate Houston while the Pirates manage to secure a victory through perseverance.

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