MLB wagering interest swings to the Pittsburgh vs Houston battle on Wednesday at PNC Park as the Pirates try to defend home turf and reward moneyline bettors.

The Pirates will turn to Charlie Morton and his 7-4 record as they look for a win in this one, while the Astros send Bud Norris (4-6) to the hill.



View Houston vs Pittsburgh Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Pittsburgh opened as -120 moneyline favorites in this baseball match, based on the starting pitcher matchup. That pairing made odds makers settle on an Sportsbook over under number of 7.5.

Power Rankings:
This game puts the Pirates, most recently No. 12 in the National League Odds Shark MLB Power Rankings, up against the Astros, who rate a National League No. 14 in the latest survey.



How They Match Up:
Scoring stats point to some edges in this matchup. The game features Pittsburgh's National League No. 11-ranked scoring average of 3.9 runs per game, against a Astros offense rated No. 10 and scoring 3.9 runs per game in the league. The Pirates have averaged 8.2 hits per game to date this season, less than the Astros hitters have managed (9 per nine innings).

Pitching and defensive stats are important baseball handicapping factors and Pittsburgh has the National League's No. 5-ranked defense. In the other dugout, the Astros own the National League's No. 16 mark in runs allowed.

Last time out for Houston, they were a 5-1 loser as they battled the Pirates on the road. Moneyline bettors who got the Pirates at -111 were rewarded, while the 6 combined runs moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. Houston looks to rebound from a loss to the Pirates, who beat them 5-1 on Tuesday behind a start from Jeffrey Karstens at PNC Park.




Houston Astros Trends:
When playing on Wednesday are 5-5
Before playing Florida are 6-4
After playing Pittsburgh are 1-9
After a loss are 2-8

Pittsburgh Pirates Trends:
When playing on Wednesday are 4-6
Before playing Chi Cubs are 5-5
After playing Houston are 8-2
After a win are 5-5

A few Astros at Pirates trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Houston's last 10 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
Houston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Houston is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston
Pittsburgh is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
Pittsburgh is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Houston
Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games


Next up:
Houston at Florida, Thursday, July 7
Pittsburgh home to Chi Cubs, Friday, July 8