MLB wagering interest swings to the Pittsburgh vs Houston battle on Tuesday at PNC Park as the Pirates try to defend home turf and reward moneyline bettors.

Houston puts its faith in starter Brett Myers to earn a win and boost his personal mark of 3-13. Getting the ball for the Pirates is Brad Lincoln, who owns a 1-1 record on the season with a 2.63 ERA.



View Houston vs Pittsburgh Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
If you're backing the visitors in this one, you'll find the Astros listed as underdogs of +-155 at most sportsbooks. Total bettors saw the number open in the area of 8, depending on the book.

Power Rankings:
According to new MLB Power Rankings here, it's the National League No. 16-ranked Pirates and the National League No. 14-rated Astros in this matchup.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Pittsburgh's No. 13 ranked National League offense (3.8 runs per game) against a Astros defense and pitching staff that sits at No. 16 in the National League at 4.9 runs allowed per game. The Pirates have been averaging 8.2 hits per game, less than the Astros have managed so far this season (8.9 hits on average).

Pitching and defensive stats are important baseball handicapping factors and Pittsburgh has the National League's No. 9-ranked defense. In the other dugout, the Astros own the National League's No. 16 mark in runs allowed.

In their last action, Houston was a 3-1 loser on the road against the Pirates. Bettors on Pittsburgh at -160 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (4) sent UNDER bettors home happy as well. The Astros endured a 3-1 loss at the hands of the Pirates on Monday, with Henry Sosa throwing 6 innings of 6-hit ball at PNC Park.




Houston Astros Trends:
When playing on Tuesday are 4-6
Before playing Pittsburgh are 4-6
After playing Pittsburgh are 5-5
After a loss are 3-7

Pittsburgh Pirates Trends:
When playing on Tuesday are 4-6
Before playing Houston are 5-5
After playing Houston are 4-6
After a win are 2-8

A few Astros at Pirates trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games on the road
Houston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Houston's last 12 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Pittsburgh's last 16 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Pittsburgh's last 21 games
Pittsburgh is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games when playing Houston


Next up:
Houston at Pittsburgh, Wednesday, September 7