Going into game two of this American League showdown, the Astros (90-72, 39-42 home) are giving the start to Framber Valdez. On the other side, the Twins (87-75, 40-41 away) are rolling with Pablo López. Don’t miss my prediction for today’s Minnesota Twins versus Houston Astros game in Houston.

MINNESOTA TWINS VS HOUSTON ASTROS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Houston Astros -143

This game will be played at Minute Maid Park at 8:03 ET on Sunday, October 8th.

WHY BET THE HOUSTON ASTROS:

  • The Astros are 4-1 straight-up in their five most recent games as the favorite.
  • Houston is on a four game winning streak when favored on the moneyline.
  • Across Framber Valdez’s 31 starts, the Astros have put together a record of 17-14.

MINNESOTA TWINS SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

Coming in with an overall record of 87-75, the Twins are 1st in the AL Central. As of late, Minnesota has been good on the road, winning five straight road series. The team’s overall series record is 28-19-5. For the season, the Twins have a runline record of 84-81, which includes going 44-38 away from home. Their over/under mark is 82-76 this year.

The Minnesota Twins will turn to starter Pablo López, who has an 11-8 record this season. He’s made 33 appearances, posting an ERA of 3.67 and a K/9 of 10.86. His FIP is 3.33 and his OBP is .285.

Pablo López earned a victory in his most recent outing, as the Twins defeated the Blue Jays 3-1. The right-hander allowed one run on five hits over six innings of work.

For the season, the Twins are 14th in batting average, hitting a combined .243. Over their last ten games, they have hit .265 which is 5th in that span. Minnesota’s average of 4.8 runs per game puts them 10th in the league. In terms of home runs, they have gone deep 233 times and have a team slugging percentage of .428.

Over the Twins’ past five contests, Royce Lewis has been the leader in home runs with three. He has accumulated 15 long balls this season and boasts a .309 batting average.

WILL THE HOUSTON ASTROS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Leading up to today’s game, the Astros are 2nd in the AL West on a record of 90-72. Overall, they have played in 51 different series, going 28-19-4. When playing above .500 teams, the Astros are 90-72, and currently hold win percentages of 48.1% at home and 63.0% on the road.

Framber Valdez brings a 12-11 record and 3.46 ERA into the game. On the road, he has an 8-3 mark and 3.80 ERA in 15 appearances, while at home he is 4-8 with a 4.12 ERA. His season-long WHIP is 1.13, with opponents batting .225 against him and slugging .360.

Framber Valdez squared off against the Mariners in his most recent start, surrendering three runs on five hits over four innings. Despite not earning the win or loss, the Astros emerged victorious with an 8-3 final score.

This season, the Astros are 5th in the league at 5.1 runs per game. Over their last ten games, they have a combined batting average of .242 (16th) leading to 4 runs per contest. Overall, they are generating 3.4 walks per game compared to 7 strikeouts. Houston’s on-base percentage of .331 has them 4th in the MLB.

Kyle Tucker has been a consistent force for the Houston Astros this season, boasting a .284 batting average and .517 slugging percentage. During the team’s last ten games, Tucker has been on fire, leading the Astros in hits and hitting at an impressive .362 clip.