The Houston Astros continue their seven-game homestand as they welcome the Cleveland Indians to Minute Maid Park for a four-game series. Cleveland has been flirting with mediocrity by going 5-3 in its last eight contests, while Houston has stumbled following its 10-game winning streak and is 3-4 in its last seven. Trevor Bauer (CLE) opposes Gerrit Cole (HOU) on the mound with the Astros being a -160 favorite and the Indians coming back at +140. The total opened at 7.5 runs.
Standout Stats
- Since April 5, Houston has won 12 of 16 contests after Sportsbook the season dropping five of its first seven. Minute Maid Park has proven to be a difficult place for opposing teams as the Astros are sporting an 8-1 record at home. Meanwhile, Cleveland has been struggling to find consistency, going on a bit of a winning streak only to follow it up immediately with a losing slide.
- The Astros and Indians rank in the top seven in the majors for fewest runs surrendered this season and that has resulted in the UNDER being a smart wager for both clubs. The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Cleveland’s first 23 contests and in 14 of Houston’s first 24.
- Toeing the rubber for the Astros is Gerrit Cole looking to bounce back from his worst start of 2019. The 28-year-old was shelled for eight runs on nine hits over just 4.1 innings against Texas in his last outing, but prior to that, he opened the season with four straight quality starts. Cleveland’s lineup has had 48 combined at-bats vs Cole and has hit just .167.
- Getting the ball for Cleveland is Trevor Bauer, who has had a fantastic start to the year. The righty has surrendered two or fewer runs in four of his first five appearances, surrendering home runs in just one game, a loss to Detroit. Bauer is averaging 114.4 pitches per game and it’s good to see manager Terry Francona not restricting him to just 100 pitches like many other managers do to their starting pitchers. The 28-year-old has had decent success vs the Astros, limiting them to a .245 batting average over 102 combined at-bats.
- These two teams are on opposite ends of the spectrum against righty pitchers as Houston ranks second with a .272 batting average vs RHP, while Cleveland ranks 27th with a .209 BA. However, the Indians are 11-7 against right-handed starters and the Astros are 9-8.
My Best Bet for Cleveland vs Houston
Cleveland +1.5
Both starters have been effective in the early stages of the season and have seen success against the opposing batting lineups. Additionally, Houston and Cleveland rank in the bottom half of the majors in runs scored this year and I anticipate a pitchers’ duel and the Indians will keep it close.
