Houston Astros vs Atlanta Braves Prediction, 8/20/2022 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Houston Astros vs Atlanta Braves

Date: Saturday, August 20, 2022

Location: Truist Park in Cumberland, GA

TV: Bally Sports South

The Atlanta Braves (72-47) are welcoming the Houston Astros (76-43) at Truist Park on Saturday. The starting pitchers will be Cristian Javier and Spencer Strider.

The Astros have compiled 208 doubles as a team and have knocked 160 balls out of the stadium. Houston is slugging .422 and have been called out on strikes 866 times, while being walked on 402 occasions. As a unit, the Houston Astros are compiling 4.5 runs/g, which has them sitting at 13th in the league. They have 518 runs batted in and 961 base knocks on the year, while their team batting average sits at .243. They are sitting with 533 runs and hold an OBP of .317.

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The Astros have an earned run average of 3.03 this season (2nd in the league), and their staff has rung up 1,058 hitters. They have walked 335 opposing players and their FIP is 3.45 as a team so far this season. Their strikeout to walk ratio is 3.16 and their pitching staff sits with a WHIP of 1.11. Astros pitchers have surrendered 100 home runs and also 394 runs (2nd in baseball).

Astros relief pitchers have gone to the mound with opponents on base 77 times in addition to having 112 appearances in high leverage situations. The relief pitchers have racked up 71 holds on the year (9th in MLB). The Astros relievers have a save rate of 74.5% and has entered the game in 118 save situations. They have recorded 35 saves this season and have blown 12 of 47 chances to save the game. The relievers have inherited 117 runners on the campaign and 30.8% of them crossed the plate. The Astros have sent 342 relievers to the hill so far this season.

The Astros have converted 72.1% of balls in play into outs out of 9,483 innings, which has them sitting 3rd in pro baseball. The Houston Astros have amassed 3,161 putouts this season, as well as 926 assists and 56 errors. Their fielding rate is at .986 which is 10th in MLB, and have 92 double plays.

Javier has thrown 262 innings and has totaled 322 strikeouts during his pro baseball career. Javier (16-11 career record) has earned a FIP of 4.11 while he has faced 1,066 opposing hitters during his time in the major leagues. His ERA is 3.30 (96 earned runs allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.080. He has allowed 173 hits (5.9 hits per 9 innings) and has had 110 walks.

The Braves have a slugging percentage of .447 and they are recording 4.89 runs per contest (3rd in the league). They have 222 two-baggers, while getting a free base 345 times and putting up 582 runs. Atlanta has a total of 183 home runs this season to go along with 554 RBIs. They have been called out on strikes on 1,097 occasions (2nd in the league) and have recorded 1,024 base hits. The Atlanta Braves have earned a team on-base percentage of .317 as well as a team batting average of .252 this season.

The Atlanta pitching staff have yielded 470 runs so far this year while having a team ERA of 3.63 (429 earned runs yielded). They have conceded 104 long balls and they concede 3.97 runs per 9 innings (7th in the league). The Braves have a WHIP of 1.229 in addition to having a FIP of 3.47 as a staff so far this season. Their K/BB ratio sits at 2.98 (1,131 strikeouts against 379 walks). They rank 9th in MLB as a pitching staff in total hits given up with 930.

Atlanta has had bullpen pitchers take the mound in 63 save chances and they have converted 41 saves. They sit at 14th in the league with a save rate of 65.1%, and they have sent 373 relievers onto the field for the year. Their relief pitchers have taken the field 128 times in high leverage situations and also on 104 occasions with runners on. Atlanta relievers have an inherited score rate of 33.8% out of 154 inherited runners. With 138 save situations, the Braves have compiled 72 holds and 22 blown saves.

In their 9,588 innings on the diamond, the Braves have accumulated a defensive efficiency of 69.4% (20th in MLB). The Atlanta Braves have turned 85 double plays and have a fielding rate of .987 (7th in pro baseball). The Braves have recorded 1,029 assists, 54 errors and have accounted for 3,196 putouts for the season.

Strider (8-4 record in his career) holds a 3.06 ERA and has surrendered 6.0 hits per nine innings. He has a K/BB ratio of 3.94 and he has gone up against 391 hitters in his career. He has conceded 33 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.041 and having a FIP of 2.2. Thus far in his career, Strider has allowed 65 base knocks while he has tallied 142 strikeouts in 97 innings pitched.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Houston

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