Padres vs. Astros Betting Preview: Hart vs. Gusto & Over/Under Pick

San Diego Padres vs. Houston Astros
Date: Friday, April 18th, 8:10 ET
Location: Daikin Park
TV: None
Money Line: Padres +120/Astros -140
Total Line: 9

Betting Preview

Here’s our betting preview for the upcoming MLB clash between the Houston Astros and the Padres on Friday, April 18th at Daikin 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 Padres and Astros is set to get started at 8:10 PM ET from Daikin Park in Houston, TX. The Padres are 15-4 this season, putting them first in the NL West, while the Astros are 8-10 and 5th in the AL West.

San Diego is starting Kyle Hart, while the Astros have Ryan Gusto on the mound. Houston is the money line favorite, with the odds sitting at -140, and the over/under line is at nine runs. The under is currently paying out at -115 compared to +105 for the over.

Padres vs. Astros Projected Lineup

Straight Up/Over-Under/ Runline Record

San Diego Padres: 15-4 SU / OU 8-10 / Runline 15-4
Houston Astros: 8-10 SU / OU 7-9 / Runline 8-10

Padres Records & Recent Play

San Diego closed out their series vs. the Cubs with a 4-2 win. Leading up to the game, they were the slight favorite at -112 on the money line. It was a big 3rd inning for the Padres, as they scored two runs to take the lead, and added another two runs in the 4th to extend their lead. The Padres also got a good start from Nick Pivetta, going six innings and giving up just one run while striking out six.

Tyler Wade was hot at the plate, going 2/2 with two runs scored. The Padres also had three other players with a hit, and Manny Machado drove in two runs. The Padres’s bullpen closed things out, and Robert Suarez picked up the save.

San Diego is off to a great start this season, going 15-4 through their first 19 games. The Padres are leading the NL West by 1.5 games over the Dodgers, and they are 3-0 against other teams in the division. At home, the Padres have been fantastic, going 12-1 this season.

Today, the Padres are on the road, taking on the Astros. So far, the Padres have been good on the road, posting a record of 3-3. San Diego has been really good in night games this year, going 7-1, and they are 8-3 in day games.

Astros Records & Recent Play

Houston closed out their series vs. the Cardinals with a 4-1 loss on the road. The Astros were the slight favorite at -109 on the money line. Things started off well for the Astros, as they got on the board with a run in the 1st inning but gave up the lead right away as the Cardinals scored three times in the bottom of the first.

Ronel Blanco got the start for the Astros and took the loss. He only lasted five innings, giving up three earned runs on five hits. The Astros’ offense scored their only run in the 2nd inning and had a total of four hits.

Houston is 8-10 overall heading into today’s game vs. the Padres, and they are 3.5 games behind the Rangers for the AL West lead. So far, they are 3-3 in divisional games. The Astros will be at home today, where they are 4-5 this year.

The Astros lost the final two games of their series with the Cardinals and are 3-3 in the series this year. So far, they have yet to win a game as the favorite, going 0-0. As for their record as the underdog, it is also 4-5, which matches their road record.

Pitching Matchup

Kyle Hart will be making his 4th start of the season, and he is coming off a win over the Rockies in his last outing. Hart has been solid in his first two starts, as he went five innings in his first start and six innings in his last start. He has yet to give up a home run this season and has 10 strikeouts in 11 innings pitched.

Ryan Gusto is getting his first start of the season today for the Astros, as he’s made three bullpen appearances so far. He picked up a win in his first outing but then took a loss in his last outing, going four innings and giving up three earned runs. Gusto has six strikeouts in 8 innings of work so far this year.

Padres vs. Astros Offense Outlook

So far this season, the Padres are the top-hitting team in the league, batting a combined .274. They are also the top team in terms of on-base percentage, and their 4.6 runs per game is 9th in the league. At home, they are averaging 5.2 runs per contest. The Padres have been tough to strike out this season and have the league’s 1st and 2nd home run hitters in Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill, respectively.

Over his last four games, Fernando Tatis Jr. has gone 5/17 with two homers and five RBIs. This has pushed his season average to .348, which is 3rd on the team. Tatis Jr. also leads the Padres with 14 RBIs. Luis Arraez has also been swinging the bat well of late, going 6/19 in his last four games.

So far this season, the Astros offense has been one of the worst in the league, averaging just 3.5 runs per game (23rd) and batting a collective .216 (23rd). They are also near the bottom of the league in both slugging percentage and OPS. As a team, they are also just 13th in home runs. Jose Altuve has been a bright spot so far, as he is batting .311 and has gone deep three times.

Isaac Paredes and Jeremy Peña are tied for the team lead with three home runs, but both come into the game on some cold streaks. Paredes is just 2/17 in his last five games, while Peña is hitting .263 in that stretch. However, Peña does have an eight-game hitting streak.

Free Padres vs. Astros MLB Pick

With this pitching matchup, I see there being a lot of runs, and the total line sitting at 9 reflects that. Yet, I think this game easily goes even past that line. I’m taking the over at nine runs.