Astros Favored, But Should You Bet on Them vs the Mets?

Two of the hottest teams in baseball face off on Friday night as the Houston Astros take a seven-game winning streak into their interleague series opener at the New York Mets, who have won three straight in a bounce-back June overall.

The Astros are short favorites on the MLB odds according to MyBookie Sportsbook.

Houston Astros Moneyline -120

The Astros have reached .500 for the first time this season at 40-40 following their seventh straight win Wednesday, 7-1 over Colorado. It’s Houston’s longest winning streak since they won eight straight games from May 14-22, 2023.

Yanier Diaz

Diaz went 3-for-4 with two RBIs in the win to extend his hitting streak to seven games, a stretch in which he’s batting .407 (11-for-27) with seven RBI.

Yanier Diaz has yet to go yard since taking a foul tip off his finger and missing a few games earlier this month, but his current hot stretch has pushed his slash line on the season up to .271/.298/.415 with seven homers, 32 runs and 40 RBI in 69 contests.

He’s one of the best hitting catchers in the majors but also plays at DH.

Jose Altuve

Leadoff hitter and second baseman Altuve went 2-for-5 with a run scored, two RBIs and two stolen bases. He stole multiple bags in a game for the first time since May 2 while racking up multiple hits for the 11th time in June.

Altuve has been on fire this month, batting .333 (30-for-90) in 22 contests with three homers, five steals, 15 runs and 15 RBIs. Altuve has not made an error yet at second this season, the only everyday second baseman in the AL without an error in 2024.

He has an 80-game errorless streak at second base, which is the second-longest in franchise history, trailing only his 88-game errorless streak from Aug. 17, 2013-May 27, 2014.

Astros Injury

Houston remains without All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker as he’s on the injured list with a right shin contusion but is getting close to a return.

Tucker will make the trip, but not likely back during the series, however. When the 27-year-old right fielder went on the IL he was slashing .266/.395/.584/.979 with 19 home runs and 40 RBI. At the time, his .979 OPS was fourth in the majors.

Ronel Blanco on the Hill

It’s breakout star righty Ronel Blanco (8-2, 2.34 ERA) on the mound Friday – he of the no-hitter earlier this season. Blanco (8-2) allowed one run on four hits and three walks while striking out four over seven innings to earn the win over the Orioles last Saturday.

Blanco gave up a homer to Jordan Westburg in the second inning, but it was smooth sailing from that point on. He did put three runners on via walk, but he was able to strike out four and limited the loaded Baltimore lineup.

He has allowed just two runs over 20 innings across his last three starts, after giving up four runs in each of his two outings before this stretch of dominance.

Ronel Blanco continues to thrive in his first full year as a starter, pitching to a 2.34 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 79:35 K:BB through 84.2 innings over 14 starts. He has never faced the Mets.

Since May 22, Astros starting pitchers have combined for a 3.04 ERA in 31 games while posting a .207 opponent average. Their starters have allowed three-or-fewer runs in 25 of their last 31 games.

New York Mets Moneyline -102

The Mets won their third straight game and 11th in the past 13 on Wednesday by sweeping a two-game set with the Yankees in a 12-2 rout to get to .500 at 39-39.

The NY Mets were 24-33 after the games of May 31. Now they are 39-39. The record for June is 15-6, best in the big leagues, half-game better than the Astros, who are .500 themselves after starting June at 25-33.

Brandon Nimmo, who got off to a woeful start, has started to swing a hot bat himself after being replaced by Francisco Lindor in the leadoff spot. Nimmo was still at .214 when May ended. Now he is up to .242, with 12 homers and 46 RBIs.

Francisco Alvarez

Excellent young catcher Alvarez went 3-for-3 with a home run, a double, a walk, three total runs and three total RBIs in Wednesday’s win. Alvarez touched up Yankees starter Luis Gil for a two-run homer in the third inning and added a run-scoring double in the fifth.

It was Alvarez’s third three-hit performance during his current nine-game hitting streak. Alvarez has been scorching during that stretch, batting .516 (16-for-31) with three home runs, nine RBI and a 7:7 BB:K. His slash line is up to .313/.383/.521 on the season.

Tyrone Taylor

Taylor went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run, an additional run and a walk in the victory. Taylor’s biggest contribution was a three-run blast in the sixth inning that essentially put the game on ice, giving the Mets a 10-2 lead.

It was the outfielder’s first homer since April 24 — a span of 42 games and 94 at-bats. Taylor has made two straight starts in right field, with Starling Marte (knee) on the injured list.

Edwin Diaz

Also, currently out for the Mets is closer Diaz as he serves a 10-game suspension. Adrian Houser had a three-inning save on Wednesday. He has tossed at least two frames in all but one of his eight appearances since returning to the bullpen May 26.

Houser has thrived since making that transition, allowing just three earned runs across 20.2 innings. Adam Ottavino, Jake Diekman and Reed Garrett are candidates for save chances while Diaz is unavailable.

Pete Alonso

Alonso has hit 49 home runs in Interleague Play. His 49 home runs against the American League is a franchise record, and the most among any player since he entered the league in 2019. Mike Piazza was the previous record holder with 28 Interleague home runs.

The Mets have homered in 10 straight games. It is their longest streak of the season and their longest since a nine-game streak from August 14-22, 2023. The last time the Mets had a longer streak was an 11-game span from June 27-July 8, 2023.

Jose Quintana on the Mound

It’s lefty Jose Quintana on the hill Friday. Quintana (3-5) earned the win against the Cubs last Friday, allowing one unearned run on four hits and one walk with eight strikeouts over 6.1 innings.

Quintana allowed an unearned run in the first inning but cruised from there with plenty of run support, as the Mets scored 11 runs in the first four frames. He surpassed the season-high six strikeouts he recorded June 15 in his last outing, and registered his second consecutive victory and quality start.

On the season, Quintana owns a 4.58 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 58:26 K:BB over 78.2 innings.

Quintana is 3-1 with a 2.96 ERA in 48.2 career innings vs. Houston. He last faced them as a member of the Angels on April 5, 2021, in Anaheim. Quintana surrendered four runs over 3.1 innings along with five hits, three walks and five strikeouts.

Betting Astros at Mets MLB Odds

When: Friday, 7:10 PM ET
Where: Citi Field
Pitchers (away/home): Ronel Blanco/Jose Quintana
TV: None national
Stream/gameday audio: Apple TV+  

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— MLB (@MLB) June 27, 2024

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