First pitch for this AL matchup between the New York Yankees and Houston Astros is set for 4:10 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX. The Astros are the favorites in this one, with a money line payout of -152 compared to the Yankees at +128.

Looking at the over/under line, oddsmakers have set it at 8.5 runs. The over is currently at -119 compared to the under at -103. On the mound for the Yankees is Nestor Cortes, while the Astros will counter with Framber Valdez.

HOUSTON ASTROS VS NEW YORK YANKEES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Houston Astros Moneyline -152

This game will be played at Minute Maid Park at 4:10 ET on Thursday, March 28th.

HOW TO BET THE YANKEES VS ASTROS:

  • We have the Astros winning by a score of 6 to 5
  • However, if you’re looking for a run line pick, we like the Yankees to cover
  • As for an over/under pick, we have this game finishing with 11 runs and like the over

Yankees Records & Stats

Despite finishing with a record above .500, the Yankees missed out on the playoffs last season. In the American League, they were in 8th place and 4th in the AL East. Their overall series record was 23-22-6.

At home, the Yankees went 42-39 compared to 40-41 on the road. As the underdog, they were 29-35 last season. Today, they are listed as the underdog against the Astros at +128.

On the road last season, the New York Yankees had a run line record of 44-37, averaging a run margin of exactly 0.0 runs per game. Overall, their average scoring margin was -.2 runs per game. In games they won, their average scoring margin was +3.4 runs per game, compared to -3.8 runs per game in games they lost. For the season, they were the underdog in 39.5% of their games, going 35-29 vs. the run line in those contests.

When looking at last year’s over/under record, the Yankees finished 71-81, and their games had an average O/U line of 8.4 runs. In games with an O/U line of 8.5 runs, the over/under record was 24-25. Overall, 56.2% of their games finished with fewer than 8.5 runs.

Coming off a season in which he made 12 starts and 12 appearances, Nestor Cortes finished with a record of 5-2 and an ERA of 4.97. His WHIP for the season was 1.25, and he finished the year with four quality starts. Cortes’ batting average allowed was .243, and he allowed a total of 11 home runs. For the season, he averaged 9.52 strikeouts per nine innings and 2.84 walks per nine innings.

Despite finishing 8th in home runs last season, the Yankees struggled to drive in runs, ranking 25th in RBIs. Overall, New York averaged 4.1 runs per game, which was 24th in the league. On the road, they were slightly better, averaging 4.2 runs per game (23rd). At home, the Yankees were 6th in isolated power (.187) and 16th in slugging percentage (.408).

The Yankees are looking for big things from Aaron Judge this season after he hit 37 home runs last year. Gleyber Torres is also back after hitting 25 home runs last season. Juan Soto is the top off-season addition after hitting 35 home runs for the Padres last season.

Astros Records & Stats

The Astros are coming off a season in which they went 90-72, which was good for 4th in the American League and 2nd in the AL West. In the post-season, Houston lost in the ALCS to the Rangers by a series score of 4-3.

At home, the Astros went 39-42 last season, while going 51-30 on the road. In night games, Houston had a record of 60-50, compared to 30-22 in day games. As the favorite, the Astros went 62-56 last season, while going 28-16 as the underdog.

At home last season, the Astros had a run line record of 33-48. Their average scoring margin in those games was -.2 runs per contest. For the season, Houston had a run line record of 81-81, with a run differential of +.8 runs per game. In games they covered the run line, their scoring margin was +4.2 runs per contest compared to -2.6 runs per game in games they did not cover.

Last season, the Astros’ games had an average over/under line of 8.6 runs, and their O/U record was 84-73. Their games averaged a combined 9.4 runs per game, and 53.7% of their games finished with more runs than 8.5. When their games did have an O/U line of 8.5, the O/U record was 28-23.

Framber Valdez is coming off a season in which he made 31 starts and went 12-11. His ERA for the year was 3.46, and he had a WHIP of 1.13. Valdez’s batting average allowed was .225, and his on-base percentage allowed was .282. He finished the season with two complete games and two shutouts, while also recording 20 quality starts. Valdez’s strikeouts per nine innings was 9.09, and he averaged 2.59 walks per nine innings.

On the road last season, the Astros were one of the top offenses in the league, averaging 5.7 runs per game, which was 3rd in the NBA. Their road batting average of .258 was 2nd in the league, and they were 3rd in road WOBA at .357. Overall, Houston was 5th in the NBA in runs per game at 5.1 and 4th in batting average at .259.

The Astros are returning their top two home run hitters from last season, Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker. Alvarez hit 31 home runs and drove in 97 runs while batting .293. Tucker finished with 29 home runs and 112 RBIs. The team also added Victor Caratini, who hit .259 with 7 home runs and 25 RBIs last season for the Brewers.