Arizona Diamondbacks vs Houston Astros Prediction, 9/8/2024 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Arizona Diamondbacks vs Houston Astros

Date: Sunday, September 8, 2024

Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX

TV: DBACKS.TV

The Houston Astros (75-65) will compete against the Arizona Diamondbacks (79-62) at Minute Maid Park on Sunday. The pitchers taking the mound will be Ryne Nelson and Justin Verlander.

As a unit, the Arizona Diamondbacks are putting up 5.4 runs per game, which ranks them 1st in the league. They have accounted for 765 runs while holding a team on-base percentage of .336. The Diamondbacks have hit 236 two-baggers as a team and have knocked 177 balls out of the stadium. They have earned 727 runs batted in and 1,257 base knocks this season, and their batting average is .262. Arizona owns a slugging percentage of .435 and have been called out on strikes 1,096 times, while taking a walk on 492 occasions.

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The Diamondbacks hold a team ERA of 4.53 this season (27th in the league), and the staff has rung up 1,101 batters. Diamondbacks pitchers have allowed 149 long balls and 671 runs (26th in MLB). Their pitching staff has walked 414 hitters and their FIP is 4.08 as a unit on the year. Arizona has relinquished 1,275 base hits (9.1 per 9 innings) and 633 earned runs. They have a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.66 and their pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.34.

The Diamondbacks bullpen have a save percentage of 60.3% and has entered the game in 139 save situations. The relief pitchers have inherited 189 runners so far this year and 41.3% of those players crossed home plate. Diamondbacks relief pitchers have stepped onto the hill with runners on 133 times in addition to having 159 appearances in high leverage situations. The Diamondbacks have sent 463 relievers to the mound so far this season. The relief pitchers have racked up 79 holds on the year (11th in baseball). They have recorded 35 saves so far this season and have missed out on 23 out of their 58 chances to get a save.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have earned a total of 3,774 putouts on the year, as well as 1,288 assists and 54 errors. Their fielding percentage sits at .989 which puts them in 1st in pro baseball, and they have turned 128 double plays. The Diamondbacks have transformed 68.4% of baseballs in play into outs out of 11,322 innings, which has them ranked 25th in pro baseball.

Nelson has thrown 305 innings and is sitting with 233 K's during his pro baseball career. Nelson (19-15 record in his career) has a FIP of 4.47 and he has gone up against 1,286 opposing hitters in the majors. His earned run average is 4.54 (154 ER's allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.311. He has conceded 316 base hits (9.3 hits per nine innings) and has 84 walks.

The Houston Astros have compiled an OBP of .320 and a team batting average of .260 this year. They have been rung up on 1,029 occasions (27th in baseball) and have earned 1,243 base hits. Houston has compiled 165 HRs so far this year to go along with 607 runs batted in. The Astros have a team SLG% of .416 and they score 4.54 runs per game (14th in baseball). They have recorded 223 doubles, while walking 382 times as well as putting up 636 runs.

The Astros have a WHIP of 1.250 in addition to having a FIP of 4.07 as a squad so far this season. They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 9.30 (1,278 strikeouts against 493 bases on balls). They come in at 2nd in MLB as a staff in total hits relinquished with 1,058. They have yielded 155 HR's and they yield 4.04 runs per 9 innings (5th in baseball). The Houston pitching staff have surrendered 557 runs on the season and come in with a team ERA of 3.74 (516 earned runs yielded).

Houston has called on bullpen pitchers to step onto the mound in 57 save chances and they have tallied 35 saves. They are ranked 21st in MLB with a save rate of 61.4%, and they have dispatched 440 relievers onto the field so far this season. Their relievers have stepped onto the hill 128 times in high leverage situations and on 83 occasions with runners on. Houston bullpen pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 29.6% out of their 125 inherited runners. Sitting with 138 save situations, the Astros have tallied 80 holds and 22 blown saves.

The Houston Astros have gotten 114 double plays and have a fielding rate of .986 (12th in professional baseball). The Astros have recorded 1,131 assists, 70 errors and have a tally of 3,723 putouts for the season. In 11,169 innings played, the Astros hold a defensive efficiency of 70.7% (6th in MLB).

During his career, Verlander has conceded 2,864 base knocks and he has 3,405 K's in 3,396 innings pitched. Verlander (260-146 win-loss mark in his career) holds a 3.27 ERA and has conceded 7.6 hits per 9 innings. He has given up 1,233 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.122 and having a FIP of 3.2. He has a K/BB ratio of 3.59 and he has faced 13,856 hitters in his pro baseball career.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Arizona

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