The Houston Astros and Arizona Diamondbacks have split their last 14 matchups, and each team has posted a win through the first two games of this series. The Astros and Diamondbacks will look to break the tie in Thursday night’s series finale in Arizona.
- Date/Time: August 6, 7:07 p.m. ET
- Stadium: Chase Field
- TV Coverage: Fox
- Sportsbook Odds: Astros -130 | O/U 9 (Line History)
- Astros vs Diamondbacks Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The Sportsbook line for this game has remained steady into the early morning of game day with the Astros going off as -130 road favorites over the Diamondbacks at +120. The total has also stayed unchanged at 9 runs. Arizona has been an underdog in all but one of its games so far in 2020.
Starting Pitchers Analysis
Rookie right-hander Brandon Bielak has taken over Josh James’ spot in the Houston rotation after James recorded a 10.50 ERA and a 2.50 WHIP in his first two starts of the season. Bielak has picked up wins in both of his relief appearances this year and has a 1.69 ERA and 1.31 WHIP with six strikeouts through his first 5.1 innings in the big leagues.
Arizona acquired Zac Gallen as a rookie last season and he pitched very well in eight starts with the Diamondbacks, compiling a 2.89 ERA and 1.26 WHIP to go along with 53 strikeouts in 43.2 innings. Gallen held the high-powered Los Angeles Dodgers to just two earned runs with nine strikeouts in his last assignment and owns a tidy 2.70 ERA through his first two starts in 2020.
Houston News & Notes
Astros closer Roberto Osuna’s season appears to be over as the 25-year-old will reportedly require season-ending surgery on his throwing arm. Houston’s bullpen has been hit hard by the injury bug this season, with Osuna joining Joe Smith, Brad Peacock, Chris Devenski and Joe Biagini on the injured list.
The team’s starting staff is also decimated with injuries to Justin Verlander, Jose Urquidy and Austin Pruitt. The Astros have a deep and talented farm system, but no team is well-equipped to deal with this many injuries at once. Houston is sporting an uncharacteristically poor 4.30 team ERA through its first 11 games.
Arizona News & Notes
Arizona’s offense finally showed some signs of life in Wednesday’s 14-7 win over the Astros. Prior to that victory, the Diamondbacks were just 1-5 SU over their previous six games, averaging a paltry 2.67 runs per game over that stretch. The team’s three home runs on Wednesday night matched its output over the previous 11 games of 2020.
The D-backs went into full rebuild mode when they traded superstar first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to the St. Louis Cardinals before the start of the 2019 season. Arizona is dead last in the NL West at 4-8 SU and will likely be looking to amass more prospects at this year’s August 31 trade deadline.
Betting Pick: Arizona +120
Zac Gallen is a star in the making. The price is too good to pass up on here, especially with the current state of Houston’s pitching staff taken into account.
- Houston is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games against National League West opponents.
- Arizona is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games.
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston’s last 5 games on the road.
