A key battle on the MLB odds menu sees visiting Houston duelling St. Louis on Thursday at Busch Stadium.

St. Louis hands the ball to starter Jake Westbrook in this one and he'll try to improve on his 12-9 mark on the year. Houston counters with Dallas Keuchel, who will try to quiet the fans and the Cardinals bats at the same time.



View Houston vs St Louis Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The Astros were listed as +-290 underdogs on the baseball moneyline at many online sportsbooks. The total was set at 8.5 before betting started earlier on Monday.

Power Rankings:
The Cardinals sit at No. 4 in the National League in the current MLB power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Astros sit at a National League No. 16 on the same chart.



How They Match Up:
Scoring stats point to some edges in this matchup. The game features St. Louis' National League No. 1-ranked scoring average of 4.9 runs per game, against a Astros offense rated No. 16 and scoring 3.7 runs per game in the league. The Cardinals have averaged 9.5 hits per game to date this season, more than the Astros hitters have managed (8 per nine innings).

Defensively, Houston features the National League's No. 16-rated defense on the road, allowing 5.9 runs per game. St. Louis, meanwhile, comes in at No. 4 in the National League at home, scoring 4.9 runs per game.

Last time out for Houston, they were a 4-2 loser as they battled the Cardinals on the road. Moneyline bettors who got the Cardinals at -300 were rewarded, while the 6 combined runs moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. The Astros endured a 4-2 loss at the hands of the Cardinals on Wednesday, with Bud Norris throwing 6 innings of 7-hit ball at Busch Stadium.




Houston Astros Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
Before playing NY Mets are 7-3
After playing St. Louis are 2-8
After a loss are 2-8

St. Louis Cardinals Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
Before playing Cincinnati are 8-2
After playing Houston are 7-3
After a win are 5-5

A few Astros at Cardinals trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Houston's last 12 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of Houston's last 24 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
Houston is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
Houston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing St. Louis
St. Louis is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Houston
St. Louis is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Houston
St. Louis is 18-6 SU in its last 24 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of St. Louis' last 12 games when playing Houston


Next up:
Houston at NY Mets, Friday, August 24
St. Louis at Cincinnati, Friday, August 24