2024 Houston Astros Odds: Betting Futures and Win Totals Lines

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Last season, the Houston Astros were dominant in the postseason, winning the World Series with an 11-2 record in the postseason. It took them until the World Series itself to lose a postseason game a season ago, in one of the more impressive playoff runs of all-time.

This year, the Astros will aim to repeat as champions, and to solidify themselves as one of the great dynasties in the history of baseball.

Check out MyBookie’s Astros betting odds and predictions for 2023 MLB Season.

Houston Astros: 2023 Season Prediction

Back To Back?

The elephant in the room for the Astros this season is whether or not they can do the unlikely and win a second straight World Series crown. They are the favorites to win the championship in the futures markets going into this year, which means both high expectations and high pressure to perform. The question for the Astros will be whether they can deliver on those expectations while blocking out the pressure they are facing.

Working in Houston’s favor is the fact that pressure has not seemed to bother them throughout their recent history with their current nucleus. Time and time again, the Astros have found timely hitting that other teams have lacked with their own stars. Because of that, there is no reason to believe that the Astros cannot once again reach the top of the mountain in Major League Baseball.

Young Pitching Takes Spotlight

One of the major headlines for the Astros going into this season is the departure of Justin Verlander from their starting rotation. Verlander is getting up there in age, but has been a key component to the recent championship runs in Houston. Despite a poor first playoff start against Seattle this past postseason, Verlander did not lose a decision in the 2022 playoffs, and his absence leaves the Astros rotation in an interesting spot.

Framber Valdez will become the number one starter in Houston going into this season, which is certainly not a bad thing. Valdez went 17-6 last season and posted an ERA of 2.82, which was just outside of the top-10 in the league. But the question for the Astros will be whether the loss of Verlander will hurt when the games matter most in October.

Astros Season Prediction: World Series Winners

It is pretty clear that the Houston Astros are capable of overcoming any adversity that comes their way, after surviving their sign-stealing scandal and mounting comeback after comeback on the field in the playoffs. They have a legitimate MVP candidate in Yordan Alvarez, and they have plenty to fall back on in their rotation, even without Justin Verlander around. Houston is a justified favorite to win the World Series this season.

Houston will likely be the last team standing in MLB this season, as they simply have too much hitting for opponents to overcome. Even in October, when pitching moves to the forefront, the Astros simply have too many weapons for even the best pitching staffs to deal with. Expect the Astros to take down the Yankees in the ALCS before downing the Dodgers for the title.

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No team has repeated as World Series champion since the New York Yankees won a third straight title in 2000. The Houston Astros are +600 favorites to end that drought this year and while it’s tough to know what they may look like in October, Houston will enter the season with All-Star second baseman and former AL MVP Jose Altuve atop the lineup for at least two months.

MLB News: Astros All-Star Jose Altuve Could Miss More Than 2 Months

Altuve suffered a fractured right thumb in Team Venezuela’s World Baseball Classic game Saturday and will need surgery. Altuve exited the loss to Team USA in the fifth inning after being drilled by a 96 mph fastball by Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Daniel Bard.

“It’s a massive blow,” Astros general manager Dana Brown told reporters. “You can’t replace a player like this, this close to the season. These players don’t exist. You just can’t go out and replace this type of a player.”

Over the past 10 full seasons, going back to 2012, Altuve has never played fewer than 124 games in an individual campaign. That low number came in 2019, when a hamstring strain sent him to the injured list for just over a month. Apart from that, all his trips to the IL have been fairly minor, meaning he is now likely facing the lengthiest absence of his career.

Last year, Altuve was named an All-Star for the eighth time, a club record, besting 2B Craig Biggio, who was selected seven times in his Hall of Fame career. Altuve finished the 2022 regular season with a .300 average, 28 homers, 18 steals, 103 runs and 39 doubles for a .920 OPS. He has hit .300 for a full season six times in his career (2014-18, 2022) and has posted an OPS over .900 four times (2016-17, 2019, 2022).

Altuve led all American League leadoff hitters in runs (103), hits (158), doubles (39), homers (28) and walks (66). He hit leadoff homers, which tied the franchise record for a single season, also reached by CF George Springer in 2019. After starting the postseason 0-for-23 in his first five games, Altuve recovered to hit .314 (11×35) over his last eight games. By doing so, he became the sixth player in MLB history to reach 100 career postseason hits.

It goes without saying that losing Altuve, who ranked fifth among all qualified hitters with a .921 OPS in 2022, for any length of time is a devastating blow for the defending World Series champs, especially since Yordan Alvarez is nursing a hand injury and has not yet played this spring. Designated hitter Michael Brantley’s status for Opening Day is also up in the air as he continues to recover from the shoulder surgery that ended his 2022 season prematurely. Starting pitcher Lance McCullers won’t be ready for Opening Day. Of course, ace pitcher Justin Verlander is now with the Mets.

Utility men David Hensley and Mauricio Dubón are the likely candidates to replace Altuve. Both are good defensively but can’t hit much. Dubón, expected to be the Astros’ primary utility player this year following the loss of Aledmys Diaz in free agency, has mostly played center field in his MLB career. But he has also made starts at second base, shortstop and third base. He started four games at second last year and has 30 career starts there as a big leaguer. Hensley has started 78 games at second in his minor-league career, including 22 last year at Triple-A. Andrelton Simmons and Jonathan Villar are players available on the free-agent market, while the Yankees’ Isiah Kiner-Falefa could make sense if they seek a trade.

The injury risk of playing in the World Baseball Classic has already been a loud topic of conversation since New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz tore his patellar tendon while celebrating Puerto Rico’s victory at the end of pool play. Díaz, last year’s NL Reliever of the Year, is expected to miss the entire MLB season.

Houston opens the regular-season on Thursday, Marcy 30 at home as the team will raise its second World Series banner. The Astros have won 10 straight games on Opening Day (2013-22), which ties as the longest streak in Major League history. Altuve has been a part of all 10 of those victories, as he’s now 10-1 in Opening Days in his illustrious career.

The Astros are -200 favorites to win the AL West again but this potentially opens the door for Seattle (+310).

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One of the most touted pitching prospects in Major League Baseball makes his 2023 debut on Monday night as Houston Astros right-hander Hunter Brown, who is +1600 on the MLB odds to win AL Rookie of the Year, takes on the visiting Detroit Tigers.

Touted Astros Rookie Hunter Brown Makes First Start of Season Monday vs. Tigers

When: Monday, 8:10 PM ET
Where: Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX
Probable pitchers (away/home): Hunter Brown/Matthew Boyd
TV: MLB.tv

Brown had a strong 2022 season at Triple A (9-4, 2.55 ERA in 23g) — he was the 2022 Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year — before debuting with the Astros in September. He went 2-0 with an 0.89 ERA in 7 games (2 starts) in his debut season but still maintained rookie status and also pitched 3 times in the postseason, tossing 3.2 scoreless innings.

A native of suburban Detroit, Brown will be facing the Tigers for the 2nd time in his young career. He pitched against them in his 2nd career start last season on Sept. 13, tossing 6.0 innings of 2-run ball en route to receiving the win in the Astros 6-3 victory.

The 24-year-old Brown registered a 5.00 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and a 10/5 K/BB ratio over nine innings in Cactus League action this spring. Shortly after his final outing, he was sidelined with back stiffness but has felt fine in bullpen sessions and simulated games since.

Brown struggled with his command in Spring Training, but he sports the upside of a potential Rookie of the Year candidate if he can harness his walk issues. Brown pairs a high-90s fastball with both a slider and curveball that induce plenty of whiffs, and he allowed just two earned runs across 20 innings in September and October of 2022.

Houston split four games over the weekend against the Chicago White Sox. A slow start at the plate by Alex Bregman (0-for-16), along with injuries to Jose Altuve and Michael Brantley, had the Astros struggling for run production at times this weekend, and the lack of a quality start put some early-season strain on the bullpen. Until they get Brantley back from his shoulder surgery recovery (later this month) and Altuve back from his fractured thumb (will miss the first two months of the season), the Astros will need others to step up.

In addition to Altuve and Brantley, the Astros also played Sunday without slugger Yordan Alvarez, who’s off to a torrid start with an RBI in all three games he’s played. Because he had only seven at-bats in the spring, Alvarez won’t play every day for the first few weeks of the season. With one more home for Alvarez, he’ll become the 19th player in franchise history to reach the 100-homer mark.

Detroit was dominated over the weekend in a three-game sweep at Tampa Bay, getting outscored 21-3. Hard to know in this sport when one game is just one game and when a poor performance is a referendum on something larger. After three games, though, these are all facts: The Tigers had the worst offense in baseball last season. They did not sign a free-agent hitter to a major-league contract.

“(The Rays) dominated the strike zone as they always do,” manager AJ Hinch said. “That leads to making hitters uncomfortable and dictating contact. It’s a bad weekend, and we got to get to a new challenge. We’ve got to do a lot better in a lot of areas if we want to play competitively.”

It’s lefty Matthew Boyd on the hill Monday. Boyd, who turned 32 in February, made 143 starts for the Tigers from 2015-2021 and was one of the club’s most visible and prominent players during the rebuilding era. He went 37-60 with a 4.87 ERA. The Tigers non-tendered him after the 2021 season and he split last year with two organizations, recovering from injury to pitch only at the tail end of the season with the Seattle Mariners. He signed a one-year, $10 million deal to return to the Tigers in December.

This is the last MLB series that Tigers future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera will ever play as he will retire after this year. Over the weekend, Cabrera had the 3,090th hit of his Major League career, passing Ichiro Suzuki for 23rd in MLB history. Dave Winfield is next up on the list, ranking 22nd with 3,110 career hits.

Houston won all seven games against Detroit last season.

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While the start of the 2020 MLB regular season is on hold because of the current coronavirus pandemic, once play does get underway, the Houston Astros will take to the diamond as the most scrutinized ballclub in recent MLB history, if not all-time. Following their now, highly-publicized and costly cheating scandal that cost them GM Jeff Lunhow and manager A.J. Hinch, the Astros will look to reach their third World Series in the last four seasons. With that thought in mind, let’s find out what likely lies in store for the defending AL champs in 2020.

Houston Astros Analysis Before 2020 Season Start

Houston Astros 2020 MLB Season Odds

• AL Pennant Odds +400
• World Series Odds +850

Houston Astros Offensive Analysis

Despite their embarrassing cheating scandal, Houston is still brimming with talent as evidenced by the fact that they won an MLB-best 107 games last season. The Astros finished the 2019 season ranked third in scoring (5.68), first in team batting average (.274), first in OPS (.848), and third in home runs (288).

26-year-old third baseman Alex Bregman hit 41 home runs with 112 RBI while George Springer added 39 homers and 96 RBI. 2017 AL MVP winner Jose Altuve smacked 31 home runs while Yuli Gurriel added 31 home runs and 104 RBI. Last, but not least, veteran left fielder Michael Brantley added 22 homers while batting a team-high .311. Add it all up, and the Astros possess one of the most potent offenses in all of baseball.

Houston Astros Defensive Analysis

Houston was also elite defensively in finishing the 2019 campaign ranked second in team ERA (3.66), second in WHIP (1.13), first in strikeouts per game (7.20), first in quality starts (89) and second in errors (70). The ageless Justin Verlander narrowly edged out teammate Gerrit Cole for last season’s AL Cy Young award after going 21-6 with a 2.58 ERA and a career-high 300 strikeouts.

While the loss of the talented Cole will hurt the starting rotation, there’s also no team more prepared to lose a star of such a high magnitude and still remain a legitimate World Series contender. Veteran right-hander Zack Greinke has posted identical 18-5 records the last two seasons while going a nearly unblemished 8-1  with a 3.02 ERA in 10 starts with Houston after last season’s monster trade. Right-handers Lance McCullers, Jose Urquidy and Brad Peacock round out the starting rotation while closer Roberto Osuna racked up 38 saves while posting a 2.63 ERA.

Houston Astros Off Season Movements

Named Dusty Baker manager. Agreed to terms with OF George Springer on a one-year contract. Agreed to terms with SS Carlos Correa, RHP Chris Devenski; RHP Roberto Osuna and RHP Brad Peacock on one-year contracts.

Houston Astros Prediction

Again, while Houston is mired in the midst of one of baseball’s biggest cheating-related scandals ever, the fact of the matter is that the Astros still have a ton of talent, both on the mound and in the field. In addition to that, I love Houston’s hiring of widely-respected manager Dusty Baker and I believe his player-friendly approach is just what the veteran-laden Astros will need to move past their embarrassing debacle. Scandal or not, I like Houston’s chances of challenging for the AL Pennant in 2020.

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Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa only came up from the minor leagues on June 7, but it seems to MLB betting fans like he’s been performing in Houston for longer than that. When he arrived, he went shopping for an apartment with a real estate agent, choosing one that had floor-to-ceiling windows and a clear view of Minute Maid Park. It’s a two-bedroom unit on the penthouse level that has an open floor plan. The only personal touches right now include a June 2015 Rookie of the Month trophy.

Taking a Look at the MLB Odds News on Houston Astros’ Carlos Correa

That is, until you walk into his closet. Then you’ll see just about every type of the Kanye West-designed Yeezy sneaker, all in size 13. He also has a ton of designer clothes and suits. When it’s a game day at home, he gets up at 11:00 and then goes to the ballpark in a white BMW M5, where he stays for up to 12 hours, and then he’s back home in bed by two. He does not go carousing – at least not yet.

The Astros took Correa with the #1 overall pick in the 2012 draft, a choice that shocked observers. Even with that doubt hanging over him, Houston’s front office predicted that after he came up in June, he would keep an average over .250 and hit at least eight home runs with ten steals to boot. It only took 34 games for Correa to hit eight home runs – and 57 games to steal his tenth base. His average at the end of the season was .279, with 22 home runs and 14 steals. His WAR (Wins Above Replacement) was an amazing 4.1 given the fact that only 19 position players have finished a season with a higher number at his age. On that list are 10 Hall of Famers and several others who are headed there (Ken Griffey Jr., A-Rod, Bryce Harper, Jason Heyward, Mike Trout and Manny Machado). The Astros GM, Mike Luhnow, says that Correa’s play fits in the 99th percentile of anticipated outcomes, and there’s reason to believe him.

For a 21 year old, though, Carlos Correa exhibits a discipline well above his years. Jose Altuve, the 2014 batting champion n the American League and a three-time All-Star in his own right, calls Correa the best player in the Astros’ clubhouse. He gets a lot of comparisons to A-Rod because of his height (6’4”) and skills, and to Derek Jeter because of his cool demeanor.

He really doesn’t fit, if you think about it. People who hit with that much power don’t usually play shortstop. Players who are 6’4” generally don’t play shortstop with as much skill as he does. He can gun the ball 97 mph over to first. He also shows poise beyond his years. The final analysis: next to Altuve, Correa has the Astros’ middle infield locked down for years to come.

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If any team is primed to collapse in MLB betting during the one-game wild card play-in, it’s the Houston Astros. Houston led the American League West for the vast majority of the season, taking the lead in the first week and then holding it until there were just over two weeks left, except for a two-week gap just after the All-Star break when the Los Angeles Angels vaulted into first place. The Rangers surged ahead of Houston in September, and it was only the fact that the Rangers knocked off the Angels in Game 162 that kept the Angels from surging past Houston and taking the second wild card position.

Wild Card Team MLB Betting Preview: Houston Astros

Luckily, the Astros have the best starting pitcher in the American League taking the hill for them in the wild card tilt, with Dallas Keuchel getting the start. His season ERA is a stout 2.48, good for second in the American League. He also led the American League with 20 wins. However, he is only pitching on three days’ rest, having thrown 99 pitches when he won his 20th game back on Friday night. He did get shelled by the Rangers in his third-to-last start, but his last two starts saw him return to form.

Keuchel has had two starts against the Yankees – the Astros’ wild card opponent – this season. He has thrown a combined 16 shutout innings, including a complete game shutout in Houston on June 25, complete with 12 strikeouts. When he started in Yankee Stadium in August, he threw seven shutout innings, with only three hits and nine strikeouts.

The wild card game will take place at Yankee Stadium because New York finished with an 87-75 record this season, one game better than the Astros. Keuchel went 15-0 in starts at home, with a microscopic 1.46 ERA. When he’s pitching on the road, though, Keuchel actually has a losing record and a 3.77 ERA. The Astros as a time went 53-28 at home – but only 33-48 in road games. The Yankees went 45-36 at home this year. The Astros did win four of the seven games against New York this year.

Consider the Astros a slight favorite in this game, even though most of the betting lines basically have this as a pick with even odds. With the big bats of Jose Altuve and potential rookie of the year Carlos Correa in the lineup, the Astros will likely break through. With Keuchel on the mound, the Yankee offense, which has struggled down the stretch, will have a hard time scratching out more than a run or two, as long as Keuchel has his normal stuff.

All season long, people have been amazed at the Astros’ overperforming. This was a team that was expected to contend in 2016, but they went against expectations this year. It would be easy to expect this team to fold, to give in to the possibility of collapse after losing their division title to Texas. However, the smart money still has them eking out a close win against the Yankees and moving on to the AL Division Series against Kansas City.