Houston Astros vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction, 4/24/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Houston Astros vs Tampa Bay Rays

Date: Monday, April 24, 2023

Location: Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL

TV: Bally Sports Sun

The Houston Astros (11-10) are traveling to Tropicana Field on Monday where they will attempt to beat the Tampa Bay Rays (18-3). The expected starting pitchers are Jose Urquidy and Taj Bradley.

Houston has a slugging rate of .389 and have been rung up 174 times, while drawing a walk on 75 occasions. They have 104 RBI's in addition to 184 base knocks on the year, while their team batting average comes in at .254. The Astros have hit 32 two-baggers as a squad and have hit 22 balls out of the park. They have tallied 108 runs scored while having a team OBP of .330. As a unit, the Houston Astros are putting up 5.1 runs per game, which has them sitting at 7th in the league.

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Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 3.33 and their pitching staff has earned a collective WHIP of 1.23. Astros pitchers have surrendered 22 home runs and 84 runs (8th in the league). Houston has surrendered 172 base hits (8.2 per 9 innings) as well as 70 earned runs. The Astros are sitting with a team ERA of 3.32 on the season (4th in MLB), and the staff has rung up 203 batters. They have walked 61 opposing hitters and their FIP comes in at 3.85 as a team for the season.

Astros pitchers have gone to the mound with runners on 11 times and also have had 18 appearances in high leverage situations. The bullpen have racked up 4 holds for the year (28th in the league). The Astros bullpen have earned a save percentage of 57.1% and has stepped onto the mound in 12 save situations. They have accumulated 4 saves on the season and have not converted 3 of 7 save chances. The relievers have inherited 20 runners for the year and 30.0% of them crossed home plate. The Astros have sent 67 relievers to the mound on the season.

The Astros have turned 69.1% of balls in play into outs in their 1,707 innings, which has them sitting 16th in baseball. The Houston Astros have amassed 569 putouts for the season, in addition to 183 assists and 7 errors. Their fielding rate is holding steady at .991 which puts them in 8th in MLB, and they have twisted 12 double plays.

Urquidy has pitched in 361 innings and has tallied 298 punch outs so far in his pro baseball career. Urquidy (25-14 record in his career) has a FIP of 4.41 while going up against 1,472 batters during his time in the majors. His ERA is 3.73 (150 ER's allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.114. He has given up 324 base knocks (8.1 hits per 9 innings) and has had 79 walks.

The Rays hold a slugging % of .537 and they are recording 6.90 runs per outing (1st in MLB). They have notched 39 two-baggers, while taking a walk 70 times and recording 145 runs. Tampa Bay has hit 46 home runs this season as well as 142 RBIs. They have struck out on 170 occasions (23rd in MLB) and are sitting with 207 base knocks. The Tampa Bay Rays have earned an OBP of .358 and a batting average of .286 on the season.

The Rays have a team WHIP of 1.080 in addition to having a FIP of 3.35 as a staff over the course of the season. They currently have a K/BB ratio of 9.50 (197 strikeouts vs 69 free passes). They are currently ranked 1st in baseball as a pitching staff in total hits allowed with 133. They have given up 12 long balls and they relinquish 2.89 runs per 9 innings (1st in baseball). The Tampa Bay pitching staff have surrendered 60 runs for the season while having a team ERA of 2.79 (58 earned runs allowed).

Tampa Bay relief pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 34.8% out of 23 inherited base runners. Their bullpen pitchers have taken the field 13 times in high leverage situations in addition to 12 occasions with runners on. Sitting with 10 save situations, the Rays have tallied 6 holds in addition to 1 blown save. They sit at 7th in the league with a save rate of 75.0%, and they have dispatched 62 relievers to the hill over the course of the season. Tampa Bay has had bullpen pitchers enter the game in 4 save opportunities and they have earned 3 saves.

In 1,683 innings on the field, the Rays hold a efficiency on defense of 73.3% (2nd in MLB). The Tampa Bay Rays have turned 15 double plays and have accounted for a fielding rate of .991 (9th in MLB). The Rays have recorded 180 assists, 7 errors and are sitting with 561 putouts on the season.

Bradley (2-0 mark in his career) has a 2.61 ERA while conceding 7.0 hits per nine innings. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 8.50 and he has gone up against 40 hitters in his career. He has allowed 3 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 0.968 and being the owner of a FIP of 0.6. In his MLB career, Bradley has given up 8 base knocks and he has 17 K's in 10 frames.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Houston

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