Astros vs Yankees Picks & Odds: Judge, Alvarez Go Head-To-Head In New York

The New York Yankees (51-18) welcome the Houston Astros (43-25) to Yankee Stadium on Thursday as the clubs begin a four-game set. The Yankees have slowed down of late with a 2-2 record over their last four games while the Astros come in on a three-game win streak. Can Houston keep rolling against the best team in the majors? Find out in our Astros vs Yankees prediction. 

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Astros vs Yankees Odds & Analysis

Sportsbook Odds

The Yankees opened as the favorite at home, going off at -135 on the moneyline, while the visiting Astros opened at +125. The total was set at 8.5 runs with the UNDER going 5-1 in New York’s last six games against the AL West. New York is 11-5 in the last 16 meetings against Houston at Yankee Stadium, suggesting that the hosts should have the edge in your Astros vs Yankees prediction.

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Starting Pitchers

Jameson Taillon (8-1) will look to continue his incredible undefeated streak when he makes his 14th start of the season for New York. The right-hander picked up another win in his last outing on June 18 when he threw 5.2 scoreless innings against the Toronto Blue Jays while striking out eight. Taillon, who has a 2.70 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP through 73.1 innings, hasn’t lost since his first start on April 11. 

Framber Valdez (7-3) wasn’t great in his last outing against the Chicago White Sox on June 17, though he picked up the win despite allowing eight hits and three earned runs over six innings of work. The southpaw sports a 2.78 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP over 81 innings this season.

First-Inning Outburst Helps Astros Sweep Mets

A four-run first inning powered the Astros to a 5-3 win over the New York Mets on Wednesday as Houston took two victories from the short two-game set. Alex Bregman put the punctuation mark on the four-run outburst with a two-run homer, while Yordan Alvarez hit two solo shots in the game. Luis Garcia scattered six hits and three earned runs over five innings to pick up the win.

With the two homers, Alvarez is now up to 21 on the year, trailing only Aaron Judge (27) for the most in the majors. The Astros slugger also owns an OPS of 1.064, the top mark in the majors.

Judge Homers Twice As Yankees Top Rays

The Yankees eked out a 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays and took two wins from the three-game set against their divisional foes. The Rays took a three-run lead into the sixth before Giancarlo Stanton scored on an error to bring the Yankees within two. Aaron Judge then hit his second homer of the game in the seventh before Jose Trevino hit a two-run shot in the eighth to propel New York to victory.

Judge’s two homers on Wednesday snapped a six-game home run drought – not a notable streak for most players, but certainly a cold spell for the top slugger in the majors. The right-fielder has cooled down a bit in June with nine homers and 14 RBIs after producing 12 long bombs and 25 RBIs in May.

Astros vs Yankees Pick & Insights

Astros: Keys To Victory

Houston is 6-1 over its last seven contests thanks to some impressive offensive outbursts. The club is averaging 6.14 runs per game over that span despite being shut out in one of those outings. Alvarez has been swinging a hot bat with 17 RBIs over his last 12 games – he’ll have to go swing for swing with Judge to give the Astros a chance.

Yankees: Keys To Victory

The Yankees will be relying on Taillon to find his groove on the mound. The right-hander has generally been consistent this season but there have been some bumps in June as he has given up at least eight hits and three runs in two of his last three starts. If Taillon is his usual self, New York will be in good shape.

MLB Computer Pick: Astros +111

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