The Houston Astros will look to grab a road win when they take on the Pirates in Pittsburgh at PNC Park on Monday in baseball odds action.

Pittsburgh sends James McDonald out against Henry Sosa for the Astros in this game. McDonald is 8-7 with a 4.11 ERA on the season, while Sosa is 2-2 on the year and has a 4.34 ERA.



View Houston vs Pittsburgh Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The visitors opened as +-150 moneyline underdogs in this one at most online sportsbooks tracked at Odds Shark. The total opened at 8 for those preferring over under wagers.

Power Rankings:
The MLB Power Rankings show a disparity between these teams, with the Pirates rated this week at No. 16 and the Astros sitting at No. 14.



How They Match Up:
The game also pits Pittsburgh's No. 13-rated National League offense, averaging 3.8 runs per game, against a Astros defense that ranks No. 16 in the National League at 5 in runs allowed per game. The Pirates have averaged 8.2 hits per game so far, less than Astros batters have averaged on the year (8.9 hits per game).

Pittsburgh owns the National League's No. 9 defense, allowing 4.2 men per game to cross the plate. That contrasts with Houston's National League No. 16-rated defense.

In their last action, Houston was a 4-0 loser at home against the Brewers. Bettors on Milwaukee at -155 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (4) sent UNDER bettors home happy as well. Houston didn't plate a single run in their last outing, shut down by Shaun Marcum in a losing cause, 4-0, against Milwaukee on Sunday.

The Pirates were a 6-3 loser in their most recent outing on the road against the Cubs. That made winners of bettors who got Chicago at -133 on the moneyline, while the total score (9) was good news for OVER bettors. Pittsburgh looks to rebound from a loss to the Cubs, who beat them 6-3 on Sunday behind a start from Randy Wells at Wrigley Field.


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

Pittsburgh Pirates Trends:
When playing on Monday are 5-5
Before playing Houston are 6-4
After playing Chi Cubs are 3-7
After a loss are 4-6

A few Astros at Pirates trends to consider:
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Houston's last 11 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing Houston
Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 8 games


Next up:
Houston at Pittsburgh, Tuesday, September 6