Philadelphia Phillies vs Houston Astros 4/29/2023 Predictions, Odds and Free Picks
The Philadelphia Phillies are set to travel to Houston to face the Astros in Game 2 of their Inter-League series on Saturday afternoon. The Phillies have had a mixed start to the season, with a 5-8 record on the road and currently sit in fourth place in the NL East, 4.5 games behind division leaders Atlanta. They have won six of their last seven games, but their three-game winning streak was snapped by the Astros in a 3-1 defeat in the series opener on Friday.
Aaron Nola was the star of the show for the Phillies, pitching for 8.0 innings with only one earned run and no walks allowed, while striking out six batters to earn the win. The Phillies’ offense was also strong, collecting twelve hits and driving in six runs, with Nick Castellanos leading the way with three hits in four at-bats.
However, the Phillies will be without five players for Saturday’s game, including four starters and one reliever. Ranger Suarez, Nick Nelson, and Noah Song are on the 15-day injured list, while Taijuan Walker is questionable for his next start due to a forearm issue. Andrew Bellatti is also on the 15-day IL with a triceps injury. Despite the missing players, the Phillies will look to bounce back from their defeat and secure a win against the Astros.
- The Philadelphia Phillies are 3-6 SU in their last 9 games on the road against Houston.
- The total stayed UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia’s last 6 games with an opponent in the AL.
- The total went UNDER in 8 of the Phillies’ last 11 games with a team in the AL West Division.
Philadelphia Phillies vs Houston Astros 4/29/2023 Predictions, Odds and Free Picks
In an effort to even the series, the Houston Astros will look to bounce back against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday afternoon. Houston’s record stands at 14-11 overall, with a 6-7 home record, and they are currently sitting in second place in the AL West, trailing the Texas Rangers by only half a game. The Astros will attempt to recover from their loss to the Phillies in the series opener, which halted their two-game winning streak over the Tampa Bay Rays in the previous road series. In Friday’s game, the Astros scored one run in the first inning, but were held scoreless for the remaining eight innings, resulting in a 3-1 loss to the Phillies. SP Framber Valdez (2-3, 2.54 ERA) took the loss for Houston after giving up three earned runs and no free bases while striking out three batters in seven innings of play.
Leading the offensive charge for the Astros is 2B Mauricio Dubon, who boasts a team-high batting average of .330 and has collected 29 hits so far this season. Right Fielder Kyle Tucker leads the team with an on-base percentage of .415, while Shortstop Jeremy Pena has scored a team-leading 198 runs for Houston. LF Yordan Alvarez has been the star of the Astros offense with six home runs and 27 RBIs this season.
Unfortunately, the Astros will be missing some key players for Saturday’s game. Starting Pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (arm) and Relief Pitcher Parker Mushinski (back) are on the 15-day injured list, while Second Baseman Jose Altuve (thumb) is out indefinitely and will not be playing. Additionally, Left Fielders Michael Brantley (shoulder) and Chas McCormick (back) are on the 10-day injured list, while LF Yordan Alvarez (neck) is also out indefinitely.
- The Houston Astros are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games at home against Philadelphia.
- Houston is 8-2 SU in their last 10 games against an opponent in the National League.
- The total stayed UNDER in 6 of Houston’s last 8 games with an opponent in the NL East Division.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Houston Astros. The MLB Pick for this contest is Houston -115. The Astros will get their payback with home-field edge and crowd backing on Saturday. Houston is the superior team here and will have a better starter on the hill in RHP Cristian Javier with a 2-0 record, 3.21 ERA, and a solid 1.07 WHIP while Philadelphia will counter with RHP Zack Wheeler with a 2-1, 4.73 ERA, and 1.35 WHIP record this season. Prediction: Houston Astros will win 5-1.
MLB Starting Time: 5:10 PM ET
Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas
Date: Saturday, April 29, 2023
TV: MLBN
MLB Odds/Point Spread: Houston Astros -115
MLB Totals: 7.5
