MLB wagering interest swings to the Miami vs Houston battle on Sunday at Marlins Park as the Marlins try to defend home turf and reward moneyline bettors.

The Marlins will rely on Anibal Sanchez to turn in a quality outing on the mound in this one, while JA Happ will be his counterpart for the Astros. Anibal Sanchez is 1-0 this season, and JA Happ is 1-0.



View Houston vs Miami Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Sportsbooks had installed the Marlins as -185 moneyline favorites in this particular MLB matchup. The total, meanwhile, was set early at 7.5 before betting started to move the line.

Power Rankings:
This game matches up the No. 7 (Marlins) and the No. 11 (Astros) teams in their respective leagues, according to our current MLB Power Rankings.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Miami's No. 12 ranked National League offense (3.4 runs per game) against a Astros defense and pitching staff that sits at No. 10 in the National League at 4.2 runs allowed per game. The Marlins have been averaging 8 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 Miami has the National League's No. 8-ranked defense. In the other dugout, the Astros own the National League's No. 10 mark in runs allowed.

Houston won its last outing, a 5-4 result against the Marlins on April 14. Bettors who backed the Astros at +143 on the moneyline won on the day, and the total score (9) sent OVER bettors to the payout window. The Astros enjoyed a 5-4 victory at the expense of the Marlins on Saturday, with Bud Norris throwing 6 innings of 6-hit ball at Marlins Park.




Houston Astros Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 2-8
Before playing Washington are 4-6
After playing Miami are 4-6
After a win are 5-5

Miami Marlins Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 1-9
Before playing Chi Cubs are 5-5
After playing Houston are 5-5
After a loss are 5-5

A few Astros at Marlins trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Houston's last 15 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing Miami
Houston is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Miami's last 15 games when playing at home against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Miami's last 7 games
Miami is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Houston
Miami is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Houston


Next up:
Houston at Washington, Monday, April 16
Miami home to Chi Cubs, Tuesday, April 17