The baseball wagering menu sees a clash between Tampa Bay and Houston on Sunday, with the host Rays trying to win for themselves and reward bettors who back them on the moneyline.

Erik Bedard, with a record of 3-5 on the season, gets the ball for the Astros, while the Rays trot Chris Archer to the mound in this one. He is 3-3 so far in 2013.



View Houston vs Tampa Bay Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The Astros were listed as +-230 underdogs on the baseball moneyline at many online sportsbooks, including Sportsbook. The total was set at 8.5 before betting started earlier on Monday over at Sportsbook.

Power Rankings:
The MLB Power Rankings at Odds Shark show the American League's No. 15-rated Astros taking on the American League's No. 5-rated Rays in this contest.



How They Match Up:
The game also pits Tampa Bay's No. 5-rated American League offense, averaging 4.7 runs per game, against a Astros defense that ranks No. 15 in the American League at 5.3 in runs allowed per game. The Rays have averaged 8.8 hits per game so far, more than Astros batters have averaged on the year (7.8 hits per game).

Pitching and defensive stats are important baseball handicapping factors and Tampa Bay has the American League's No. 5-ranked defense. In the other dugout, the Astros own the American League's No. 15 mark in runs allowed.

The Astros were a 4-3 loser in their most recent outing on the road against the Rays. That made winners of bettors who got Tampa Bay at -260 on the moneyline, while the total score (7) was good news for UNDER bettors. Houston didn't get the job done in their last match, falling 4-3 to Tampa Bay on Saturday at Tropicana Field.




Houston Astros Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 4-6
Before playing Seattle are 3-7
After playing Tampa Bay are 1-9
After a loss are 3-7

Tampa Bay Rays Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 4-6
Before playing Toronto are 7-3
After playing Houston are 7-3
After a win are 8-2

A few Astros at Rays trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 5 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Houston is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing at home against Houston
Tampa Bay is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games at home


Next up:
Houston home to Seattle, Friday, July 19
Tampa Bay at Toronto, Friday, July 19