Los Angeles Dodgers vs Houston Astros Prediction, 7/26/2024 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Los Angeles Dodgers vs Houston Astros

Date: Friday, July 26, 2024

Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX

TV: Space City Home Network

The Houston Astros (53-49) will compete against the Los Angeles Dodgers (61-42) at Minute Maid Park on Friday. The men taking the mound are Gavin Stone and Framber Valdez.

Los Angeles has a slugging % of .438 and have been rung up 841 times, while taking a walk on 394 occasions. They have 491 runs batted in in addition to 883 hits this season, while their average at the plate comes in at .254. The Dodgers have accumulated 187 doubles as a team and have knocked 139 balls out of the park. They have accounted for 507 runs while holding a team OBP of .335. As a squad, the Los Angeles Dodgers are notching 5.0 runs per game, which has them sitting at 1st in MLB.

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The Dodgers have a team ERA of 3.71 over the course of the season (9th in the league), and the staff has struck out 870 batters. Dodgers pitchers have conceded 119 long balls and also 408 runs (9th in MLB). Their pitching staff has walked 317 batters and their FIP sits at 4.09 as a squad this year. Los Angeles has conceded 774 base hits (7.6 per 9 innings) and also 377 earned runs. They have a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.74 and the pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.19.

Dodgers relief pitchers have entered the contest with opponents on base 71 times in addition to having 113 appearances in high leverage situations. The relief pitchers are sitting with 58 holds so far this year (13th in baseball). The Dodgers bullpen have earned a save percentage of 62.7% and stepped onto the hill in 110 save situations. They have earned 32 saves for the season and have not converted 19 out of their 51 chances to save the game. The relief pitchers have inherited 92 base runners over the course of the season and 29.3% of those players ended up crossing the plate. The Dodgers have dispatched 339 relief pitchers to the mound so far this year.

The Dodgers have turned 72.0% of balls hit into play into outs out of 8,229 innings on the diamond, which has them sitting 2nd in professional baseball. The Los Angeles Dodgers have amassed 2,743 putouts on the campaign, in addition to 877 assists and 51 errors. Their fielding rate sits at .986 which puts them in 10th in baseball, and have 68 double plays.

Stone (10-4 career win-loss mark) has a FIP of 4.49 while he has faced 572 batters in the major leagues. He has surrendered 143 hits (9.7 hits per nine innings) and has 41 free passes. His earned run average is 4.56 (67 earned runs allowed) and his WHIP is 1.392. Stone has thrown 132 innings and has racked up 101 K's during his pro baseball career.

The Astros hold a team slugging % of .417 and they tally 4.65 runs per contest (11th in the league). They have put up 170 doubles, while getting a free base 273 times and putting up 470 runs. Houston has accounted for 116 HRs this year and 452 RBIs. They have been called out on strikes on 717 instances (28th in MLB) and have notched a total of 905 hits. The Houston Astros have earned an on-base percentage of .320 and a batting average of .261 this season.

The Houston pitching staff have relinquished 428 runs for the year while having a team ERA of 4.05 (402 earned runs surrendered). They have conceded 119 homers and they relinquish 4.31 runs per 9 innings (13th in the league). The Astros have a team WHIP of 1.296 in addition to having a FIP of 4.30 as a staff over the course of the season. Their strikeout to walk ratio comes in at 8.70 (868 strikeouts against 363 walks). They come in at 11th in MLB as a staff in total hits conceded with 796.

Houston has called on bullpen pitchers to step onto the mound in 39 save opportunities and they have tallied 25 saves. They are ranked 16th in the league holding a save percentage of 64.1%, and they have dispatched 320 bullpen pitchers to the hill this year. Their bullpen pitchers have come in 92 times in high leverage situations in addition to 53 occasions with runners on base. Houston relievers hold an inherited score percentage of 28.2% out of 78 inherited runners. Sitting with 98 save situations, the Astros have earned 58 holds in addition to 14 blown saves.

In 8,049 innings played, the Astros have earned a defensive efficiency of 70.7% (8th in MLB). The Houston Astros have turned 85 double plays and have earned a fielding percentage of .988 (3rd in the majors). The Astros have recorded 858 assists, 42 errors and have earned a total of 2,683 putouts this season.

So far in his pro baseball career, Valdez has allowed 698 hits while earning 785 strikeouts in 816 innings. Valdez (61-39 win-loss mark in his career) holds a 3.43 earned run average while giving up 7.7 hits per nine innings. He has allowed 311 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.225 and having a FIP of 3.4. His K/BB ratio is 2.60 and he has gone up against 3,405 batters in his MLB career.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Los Angeles

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