Houston Astros vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction, 8/12/2024 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Houston Astros vs Tampa Bay Rays

Date: Monday, August 12, 2024

Location: Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL

TV: Bally Sports Sun

The Tampa Bay Rays (58-56) will take on the Houston Astros (59-55) at Tropicana Field on Monday. The starting pitchers will be Framber Valdez and Taj Bradley.

Houston has a slugging % of .413 and have been called out on strikes 810 times, while being walked on 309 occasions. They have earned 497 runs batted in in addition to 1,012 hits so far this year, and their team batting average is .259. The Astros have tallied 189 two-baggers as a unit and have knocked 128 balls out of the park. They have earned a total of 519 runs while holding a team OBP of .320. As a team, the Houston Astros are scoring 4.6 runs/g, which puts them at 13th in the league.

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They have a K/BB ratio of 2.49 and the pitching staff has recorded a WHIP of 1.29. Astros pitchers have allowed 136 home runs and also 475 runs in total (9th in baseball). Houston has surrendered 891 base hits (7.9 per 9 innings) and 446 earned runs. The Astros hold a team ERA of 3.97 this year (13th in baseball), and their staff has rung up 1,024 batters. They have walked 412 opposing players and their FIP sits at 4.27 as a team this season.

The Astros have dispatched 363 relievers to the hill over the course of the season. The relief pitchers have inherited 93 base runners so far this year and 28.0% of those players earned a run for their team. They have recorded 29 saves this season and have missed out on 17 of 46 save opportunities. The Astros relief pitchers have a save percentage of 63.0% and stepped onto the hill in 112 save situations. The relievers are sitting with 65 holds so far this season (12th in the league). Astros relief pitchers have gone to the mound with players on base 63 times and also have had 107 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Houston Astros have a total of 3,036 putouts this year, as well as 938 assists and 52 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding at .987 which ranks 6th in baseball, and they have turned 95 double plays. The Astros have turned 70.5% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 9,108 innings on the diamond, which has them ranked 9th in professional baseball.

Valdez has pitched in 837 frames and is sitting with 810 punch outs so far in his pro baseball career. Valdez (64-39 win-loss record in his career) sits with a FIP of 3.36 and he has gone up against 3,484 hitters in the majors. His ERA is 3.41 (317 ER's allowed) and his WHIP is 1.214. He has given up 709 base knocks (7.6 hits per nine innings) with 307 walks.

The Tampa Bay Rays hold a team on-base percentage of .313 and a batting average of .235 for the year. They have struck out on 1,036 instances (7th in MLB) and have totaled 892 base hits. Tampa Bay has knocked in 108 home runs this season and 423 runs batted in. The Rays have a slugging percentage of .376 and they score 3.96 runs per game (27th in MLB). They have hit 184 two-baggers, while walking 376 times as well as notching 452 runs.

The Rays hold a team WHIP of 1.230 and are the owners of a FIP of 4.14 as a pitching staff so far this year. They rank 18th in MLB as a pitching staff in total hits conceded with 938. The Tampa Bay pitching staff have given up 497 runs for the season while having an ERA of 4.01 (454 earned runs relinquished). Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 8.60 (976 strikeouts against 314 bases on balls). They have allowed 142 home runs and they relinquish 4.39 runs per 9 innings (16th in MLB).

Tampa Bay bullpen pitchers hold an inherited score rate of 25.8% out of 128 inherited runners. Their relievers have taken the field 150 times in high leverage situations and on 86 occasions with runners on base. With 135 save situations, the Rays have earned 79 holds and 18 blown saves. They sit at 10th in baseball with a save percentage of 66.7%, and they have dispatched 387 relievers onto the field so far this season. Tampa Bay has called on relievers to step onto the mound in 54 save opportunities and they have walked away with 36 saves.

The Tampa Bay Rays have turned 77 double plays and have a fielding rate of .985 (16th in baseball). The Rays have recorded 898 assists, 60 errors and have a tally of 3,055 putouts this season. Out of their 9,165 innings on the field, the Rays have accumulated a defensive efficiency of 70.2% (12th in MLB).

During his pro baseball career, Bradley has given up 174 base knocks while he has tallied 235 strikeouts in 196 innings pitched. He has surrendered a total of 96 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.246 and being the owner of a FIP of 4.3. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.36 and he has faced 829 hitters in his MLB career. Bradley (11-14 record in his career) has earned a 4.41 earned run average while giving up 8.0 hits per 9 innings.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Houston

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