Tampa Bay Rays vs Houston Astros Prediction, 7/29/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Tampa Bay Rays vs Houston Astros

Date: Saturday, July 29, 2023

Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX

TV: AT&T SportsNet Southwest

Odds/Point Spread: Tampa Bay (+135) Houston (-155)

The Tampa Bay Rays (62-43) are headed to Minute Maid Park on Saturday where they will take on the Houston Astros (58-45). The moneyline on this contest has Tampa Bay at +135 and Houston is sitting at -155. The betting total is set at 8. The expected starting pitchers will be Taj Bradley and Hunter Brown.

The Rays have earned 184 two-baggers as a unit and have hit 150 balls out of the park. Tampa Bay is slugging .444 and have been rung up 899 times, while drawing a walk on 333 occasions. As a squad, the Tampa Bay Rays are putting up 5.2 runs per game, which is 4th in MLB. They have 522 runs batted in and 896 base knocks for the year, and their batting average is .255. They have 545 runs scored and have an on-base percentage of .327.

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The Rays have compiled a team ERA of 3.70 over the course of the season (1st in the league), and they have struck out 945 hitters. Rays pitchers have allowed 108 home runs and 404 total runs (1st in MLB). Their pitching staff has walked 313 opposing batters and their FIP is 3.91 as a squad on the season. Tampa Bay has allowed 782 hits (7.6 per 9 innings) in addition to 382 earned runs. Their strikeout to walk ratio is 3.02 and their pitching staff has a team WHIP of 1.18.

Rays relief pitchers have come into the game with runners on base 80 times in addition to having 101 appearances in high leverage situations. The relievers have accumulated 49 holds for the season (20th in baseball). The Rays bullpen have a save rate of 62.2% and has entered the game in 94 save situations. They have tallied 28 saves this year and have blown 17 of their 45 save chances. The relief pitchers have inherited 122 runners for the season with 23.0% of them ended up scoring. The Rays have sent 340 relief pitchers to the mound this season.

The Tampa Bay Rays have accumulated 2,786 putouts so far this season, as well as 951 assists and 41 errors. Their fielding percentage is at .989 which is 2nd in pro baseball, and have a total of 79 double plays. The Rays have turned 71.3% of balls hit into play into outs in their 8,358 innings on the field, which has them sitting 1st in pro baseball.

Bradley has pitched in 71 innings and has tallied 95 strikeouts thus far in his career. His earned run average is 5.30 (42 earned runs allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.374. He has surrendered 76 base hits (9.6 hits per nine innings) with 22 free passes. Bradley (5-6 career mark) is the owner of a FIP of 3.96 and he has faced 312 batters in the majors.

Houston has tallied 129 long balls this year and 467 runs batted in. They have 171 doubles, while getting a free base 330 times and racking up 484 runs. The Houston Astros have an on-base percentage of .318 in addition to a team batting average of .248 this season. The Astros hold a team SLG% of .412 and they average 4.70 runs per outing (12th in the league). They have struck out on 808 occasions (27th in MLB) and have earned 864 base hits.

The Houston pitching staff have surrendered 435 runs on the campaign while having an ERA of 3.81 (390 earned runs relinquished). They have given up 121 HR's and they allow 4.25 runs per 9 innings (8th in the league). The Astros have a team WHIP of 1.275 and have a FIP of 4.18 as a squad over the course of the season. Their K/BB ratio is 9.20 (945 strikeouts vs 332 bases on balls). They come in at 14th in baseball as a staff in total hits relinquished with 841.

Sitting with 107 save situations, the Astros have amassed 58 holds in addition to 16 blown saves. Houston has called on relievers to enter the game in 48 save opportunities and they have earned 32 saves. Their relievers have come in 108 times in high leverage situations in addition to 61 occasions with runners on. Houston relievers have an inherited score rate of 33.3% out of 99 inherited base runners. They rank 9th in the league with a save rate of 66.7%, and they have sent 327 relief pitchers onto the field this year.

The Houston Astros have gotten 94 double plays and have a fielding percentage of .986 (15th in MLB). The Astros have racked up 877 assists, 51 errors and have 2,762 putouts so far this season. Out of their 8,286 innings on the diamond, the Astros have a defensive efficiency of 69.1% (16th in pro baseball).

Thus far in his career, Brown has surrendered 119 base knocks while earning 144 punch outs in 125 innings. Brown (8-7 win-loss record in his career) has a 3.65 earned run average and has conceded 8.5 hits per nine innings. He has conceded a total of 51 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.281 and a FIP of 3.4. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.43 and he has faced 523 hitters during his pro baseball career.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Houston (-155)

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