Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Houston Astros MLB Betting Preview

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Houston Astros
Date: Friday, July 26th, 8:10 ET
Location: Minute Maid Park
TV: APLTV
Money Line: Dodgers +106/Astros -125
Total Line: 8.5

Betting Preview

Here’s our betting preview for the upcoming MLB clash between the Houston Astros and the Dodgers on Friday, July 26th at Minute Maid Park. We provide you with a comprehensive analysis, odds, and predictions to help with your handicapping decision or tail our expert based on the projected lineups and listed starting pitchers.

Betting Odds

Friday’s interleague matchup between the Dodgers and Astros is set for 8:10 PM ET from Minute Maid Park in Houston. The Dodgers are 62-42 this season, while the Astros are 53-49. Houston is favored on the money line, and the Astros are 1st in the AL West, while the Dodgers are leading the NL West.

APLTV will be televising Friday’s Dodgers and Astros matchup, and the over/under line is currently at 8.5 runs. Gavin Stone is starting for the Dodgers, while the Astros are going with Framber Valdez.

Dodgers vs. Astros Projected Lineup

Straight Up/Over-Under/ Runline Record

Los Angeles Dodgers: 62-42 SU / OU 54-50 / Runline 51-53
Houston Astros: 53-49 SU / OU 41-57 / Runline 53-49

Dodgers Records & Recent Play

Nick Ahmed had a big game for the Dodgers in their most recent win over the Giants, going 2/4 with a homer and scoring three runs. The Dodgers really broke things open with a three-run 4th inning and added another two runs in the 8th to close things out. Los Angeles was the -127 favorite at home going into the game.

Clayton Kershaw started for the Dodgers, going four innings and giving up two earned runs on six hits. He only had six strikeouts in the outing and took the loss.

Los Angeles is 62-42 overall and leads the NL West by 7.5 games over the Padres. The Dodgers will be on the road today, taking on the Astros. So far, they are 21-16 against other teams in the NL West.

As the favorite, the Dodgers have gone 59-35 this year and 3-7 as the underdog. Los Angeles has been good at home, going 34-20 and are 28-22 on the road. Their two straight losses on the road have come as the underdog. The Dodgers have an overall series record of 20-14-1 and have won two straight series.

When it comes to betting the run line on the Dodgers, it’s been a pretty even proposition this season, as they’ve gone 51-53. They’ve been a better bet on the road, where they’re 26-24, compared to 25-29 at home. Their average run differential on the road is +1.0, compared to +0.8 at home. They’ve been a .500 team against the run line as the favorite, going 47-47, and they’ve covered the run line in just four of 10 games as the underdog.

Los Angeles is on the road today against the Houston Astros. The over/under line for the game is set at 8.5 runs, which is lower than their season average of 9.0 runs per game. The Dodgers have hit the over in 54 of their 104 games this season, and their over/under record when the line is set at 8.5 runs is 24-17. The over has hit in two straight games for the Dodgers.

Astros Records & Recent Play

The Astros’s offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Athletics, closing out their series with an 8-1 win. After allowing one run to the Athletics in the bottom of the first, the Astros responded with a run of their own and added another in the 2nd inning. Houston went on to score four more runs in the 7th, putting things out of reach. Going into the game, the Astros were the heavy favorite at -154.

Hunter Brown put together a good start for the Astros, going six innings and giving up just one earned run, and picking up the win. Houston’s offense was carried by Chas McCormick, who went 2/3 with a homer and three RBIs.

The Astros are hosting the Dodgers with an overall record of 53-49, and they lead the AL West by just one game over the Mariners. Houston’s overall record is 19-17 against other teams in the AL West. The Astros lost two of three games in their most recent series vs. the Athletics.

At home, the Astros have gone 28-21 this season compared to 25-28 on the road. As the favorite, Houston is 39-35 this year and 14-14 as the underdog. So far, they have a series record of 18-14-1.

When the Astros are at home, they are 26-23 against the run line, with an average run margin of 1.2 runs per game. Overall, they are 53-49 against the run line, with an average run margin of 0.5 runs per game. As an underdog, they are 18-10 against the run line, and as a favorite, they are 35-39 against the run line.

The Houston Astros have played 34 games with an over/under line higher than 8.5 runs this season, and their games have averaged 8.9 runs per game. Their over/under record is 41-57 overall, and they have gone 12-18 when the line is set at 8.5 runs. Their games have gone over the total in two straight contests.

Pitching Matchup

Right-hander Gavin Stone gets the start for the Dodgers today as he faces the Astros on the road. Stone has made 18 starts this season and has a record of 9-3 with a 3.19 ERA. Coming into the game, he has a WHIP of 1.23 and has pitched one complete game shutout this year. Stone’s last outing came on July 19th, where he finished with a no-decision, giving up one earned run in five innings of work. In that outing, he gave up one homer. Before that, he had given up a homer in three straight outings.

Framber Valdez gets the start for the Astros today and comes into the game with a record of 8-5 and an ERA of 3.63. So far this season, he has made 17 starts, and opponents are batting .252 off the left-hander. Valdez has turned in 10 quality starts this year and is averaging 7.62 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. One of those wins was a complete game.

Dodgers vs. Astros Offense Outlook

Shohei Ohtani has been the Dodgers’ top hitter this season, batting .312 with 31 home runs and 74 RBIs. Ohtani is also on a seven-game hitting streak, but he has just two homers in his last seven games. Teoscar Hernandez has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 9/26 with two homers and five RBIs in his last seven games. Overall, Hernandez is batting .267 with 21 homers.

Los Angeles comes into the game as the top-scoring team in the league, averaging 5 runs per game. They have been even better at home, averaging 4.9 runs per game. The Dodgers are also the league’s top on-base percentage team and have the best team OPS in the league.

Yordan Alvarez and Yainer Diaz have been the Astros’ top power threats this season, as Alvarez’s 20 homers lead the team and is 9th in the league, while Diaz has gone deep 8 times. Both players also come into the game as the team’s top two hitters, with Alvarez batting .303 and Diaz at .281. Kyle Tucker is also near the top of the league in home runs, as his 19 homers are 10th in the MLB.

Jose Altuve is also having a strong season at the plate, batting .307 with 14 homers and 46 RBIs. However, he has been in a bit of a slump of late, going just 7/40 in his last 10 games. The Astros are hoping that Jake Meyers can get things turned around, as he has three homers in his last 10 games but is batting just .175.

Free Dodgers vs. Astros MLB Pick

Framber Valdez has won two of his last three starts for the Astros, and even in his last outing, where he took a no-decision, he pitched well. Los Angeles’ Gavin Stone hasn’t won a start since June 26th and has given up four earned runs in two of his last three outings. His last outing came vs. Boston, where he only allowed one earned run but lasted only five innings. I like Framber Valdez and the Astros tonight, and I am taking them on the money line.