Tampa Bay Rays vs Houston Astros Prediction, 10/1/2022 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Tampa Bay Rays vs Houston Astros

Date: Saturday, October 1, 2022

Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX

TV: AT&T SportsNet Southwest

Odds/Point Spread: Tampa Bay (+125) Houston (-145)

The Tampa Bay Rays (85-71) are headed to Minute Maid Park on Saturday where they will compete against the Houston Astros (102-54). The moneyline on this contest has Tampa Bay at +125 and Houston is priced at -145. The over/under is set at 6.5. The starting pitchers will be Shane McClanahan and Framber Valdez.

Tampa Bay has a slugging rate of .378 and have been rung up 1,345 times, while taking a walk on 478 occasions. They have 619 RBI's in addition to 1,260 base knocks this season, and their team batting average sits at .241. The Rays have hit 288 doubles as a squad and have hit 134 balls out of the park. They have racked up 651 runs and hold an on-base percentage of .309. As a team, the Tampa Bay Rays are compiling 4.2 runs per game, which has them at 21st in baseball.

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The Rays have compiled a team ERA of 3.38 for the season (4th in baseball), and they have struck out 1,346 hitters. They have a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.61 and their pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.14. Rays pitchers have given up 167 home runs in addition to 590 total runs (6th in the league). Their pitching staff has walked 373 opposing batters and their FIP is 3.69 as a squad for the year.

Rays pitchers have gone to the mound with opponents on base 134 times as well as having 197 appearances in high leverage situations. The relief pitchers have tallied 116 holds this season (1st in baseball). The Rays relief pitchers have a save rate of 55.0% and has entered the game in 198 save situations. They have accumulated 44 saves this year and have blown 36 of their 80 chances to save the game. The relief pitchers have inherited 177 runners over the course of the season with 25.4% of them ended up scoring. The Rays have sent 560 relievers to the mound on the season.

The Tampa Bay Rays have earned a total of 4,170 putouts thus far, as well as 1,335 assists and 81 errors. Their fielding percentage is at .985 which puts them in 14th in MLB, and have a total of 107 double plays. The Rays have turned 70.9% of baseballs in play into outs in their 12,510 innings, ranking them 4th in baseball.

McClanahan (22-13 win-loss mark in his career) holds a FIP of 3.14 and he has gone up against 1,137 opposing batters during his time in the majors. He has conceded 231 hits (7.3 hits per 9 innings) and has had 74 free passes. His earned run average is 2.91 (92 earned runs allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.071. McClanahan has pitched in 284 frames and has earned 333 strikeouts thus far in his career.

The Astros have a SLG% of .423 and they are recording 4.59 runs per contest (9th in baseball). They have tallied 270 doubles, while walking 520 times and scoring 716 runs. Houston has knocked in 208 long balls for the season to go along with 695 RBIs. They have been called out on strikes on 1,141 occasions (29th in the league) and have 1,287 hits. The Houston Astros have tallied a team on-base percentage of .320 as well as a team batting average of .247 this year.

The Astros hold a team WHIP of 1.094 in addition to having a FIP of 3.31 as a team this year. They are sitting at 2nd in baseball as a pitching staff in total hits conceded with 1,085. The Houston pitching staff have given up 504 runs so far this season and come in with a team ERA of 2.92 (451 earned runs conceded). Their strikeout to walk ratio comes in at 3.33 (1,455 strikeouts vs 437 walks). They have given up 130 home runs and they allow 3.26 runs per 9 innings (2nd in MLB).

With 160 save situations, the Astros have tallied 94 holds and 16 blown saves. Houston has had bullpen pitchers step onto the mound in 66 save opportunities and they have recorded 50 saves. Their bullpen pitchers have come in 157 times in high leverage situations and on 101 occasions with base runners. Houston relievers have an inherited score percentage of 27.6% out of their 145 inherited base runners. They are ranked 2nd in MLB with a save percentage of 75.8%, and they have dispatched 461 relievers to the mound on the year.

The Houston Astros have turned 118 double plays and have earned a fielding percentage of .987 (7th in professional baseball). The Astros have recorded 1,232 assists, 71 errors and have amassed 4,174 putouts for the season. In 12,522 innings on the diamond, the Astros have a efficiency on defense of 71.9% (3rd in pro baseball).

Valdez (40-22 career mark) holds a 3.34 earned run average while giving up 7.6 hits per 9 innings. His strikeout to walk ratio is 2.37 and he has gone up against 2,124 opposing hitters thus far in his career. He has allowed 187 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.248 and a FIP of 3.7. In his pro baseball career, Valdez has conceded 424 base knocks while he has totaled 485 strikeouts in 504 innings.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Tampa Bay (+125)

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