After taking the first two games of this three-game set, the Astros shoot for the sweep Sunday night in Houston.
Lefty Framber Valdez takes the pill for the Astros here against Dylan Cease for San Diego.
How are we playing this game with our free baseball betting pick?
MLB Betting Odds
Sunday’s baseball betting market opened Houston at -130 over San Diego, with an O/U of 7.5. Early betting action dipped that line down to -120.
Padres-Astros Betting Preview
Houston won the opener of this series Friday night 6-4, then rallied to win Saturday night’s game 3-2. The Astros won Friday as -175 favorites, then as +105 dogs against Michael King on Saturday.
Also, Friday’s game played over a total of 8.5 while Saturday’s game played under a total of 7.5.
With Saturday’s win, Houston is 3-1 over its last four games.
With Saturday’s loss, San Diego is 1-3 over its last four games.
These teams met once last season, in September, when the Padres took two of three games from the Astros at Petco Park. All three of those games played under on the totals.
Sunday’s Pitching Match-Up
This pitching match-up is a rematch of a game played last September also at Daikin Park, a 4-0 San Diego victory.
Valdez is 2/4 on quality starts this season. Monday night he got knocked around for seven runs and 10 hits through just four innings of an 8-3 Houston loss to St. Louis. But just before that he threw six innings of shutout ball against Seattle in a game the Astros eventually won 2-1 in extra innings.
During the season, Houston is 2-2 with Valdez, and the totals are split by 2-2.
In his one start last year against San Diego, Valdez allowed just one run and five hits through seven innings, although the Astros, as mentioned above, lost that game 4-0.
Cease is 1/4 on quality starts this year. Monday, he gave up three runs – two earned – and seven hits through 5 2/3 innings of a 10-4 Padres victory over the Cubs. But just before that, he got popped for nine runs in just four innings of a 10-4 San Diego loss to Oakland.
So the Padres are 3-1 with Cease, the overs 2-1-1.
In his one start against Houston last year Cease tossed 8 1/3 innings of two-hit, scoreless ball and picked up the W.
Splits With the Sticks
San Diego is batting .246 against left-handed pitching this season, with a .330 team OBP and a .396 team slugging percentage. This line-up is also operating without OF Jackson Merrill, who’s sidelined with a bad hamstring.
Last year we ranked Houston among the top half-dozen line-ups in Baseball against right-handed pitching. This season the Astros are slashing .225/.307/.334 vs. RHP.
The Bullpens
The Houston bullpen owns a 2.87 ERA this season, along with a 1.13 WHIP and a 3.10 K/BB ratio.
The San Diego pen owns a 1.65 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP, and a 2.93 K/BB ratio.
MLB Betting Trends
San Diego played 27-19 against LH starters last year, but it’s 4-4 vs. lefties this season.
Totals Report
The unders are a combined 21-17 in Padres and Astros games this season.
The unders are 6-5 at Daikin Park this season.
Prop Board
San Diego OF Tatis, who’s hit five home runs over his last eight games, is catching +130 to go over 1.5 total bases.
