Baltimore at Houston Friday Night MLB Betting Prediction & Pick

The best series in the American League this weekend has to be from Houston as the Astros welcome the Baltimore Orioles to town for the only time this season. It could be a playoff preview – the Astros are surely going to the postseason. Currently, the Astros are ending a 4 game series today against the Detroit Lions, which they lead at 2-1. For the Orioles, it wasn’t a good series against the Milwaukee Brewers, where they were swept 0-3. Houston will be an MLB betting favorite for Friday’s game.

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Baltimore at Houston Friday Night MLB Betting Prediction & Pick

RECAP: Hardy, Davis, and Schoop go deep, but Orioles drop series finale to Twins. #Birdland https://t.co/loqlkBFp4w pic.twitter.com/mTfCIMT1dG

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) May 24, 2017

When: Friday, May 26, 8:10 PM ET Where: Minute Maid Park, Houston Probable pitchers (away/home): Kevin Gausman/Joe Musgrove TV: MLB Extra Innings Stream: MLB.tv Radio: Baltimore / Houston Opening MLB Lines: Astros favored by TBA

Why Bet On Baltimore?

The Orioles enter on a four-game skid after being swept in Minnesota to start this week. It was 4-3 on Wednesday. Chris Davis launched his 10th home run of the season in the loss. Davis took Twins starter Jose Berrios deep in the bottom of the seventh and so did Jonathan Schoop, but they were both solos shots and Baltimore ultimately fell. Davis has an .825 OPS and he’s currently on pace for 36 home runs. Schoop hit his sixth home run of the season. He finished 1-for- 4 in the game and is now batting .269/.324/.462 for the year. He’s on pace for 22 homers and 68 RBI. Orioles starter Chris Tillman got off to a horrid start from which Baltimore could not recover. In the first inning, two hits and a walk loaded the bases for Kennys Vargas, who lined a two-run single to left. Eduardo Escobar followed with an RBI single. Max Kepler made it 4-0 in the third with a two-out, run- scoring double. The Birds remain without infielder Ryan Flaherty (right shoulder strain). He has put off receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection until doctors take another look at the MRI to pinpoint the trouble spot. Rookie Trey Mancini has been one of the most productive hitters on the Orioles in 2017. Mancini is hitting .301/339/.563 so far, good for a .902 OPS and a 139 wRC+. In terms of raw numbers, he has averaged an exit velocity of 90.3 mph on his batted balls which ranks 32nd in the majors in that category among hitters with at least 70 batted balls. His maximum exit velocity in 2017 was 115.6 mph, the 12th-hardest hit ball. It’s Kevin Gausman (2-3, 6.65) on the mound here. Gausman allowed two runs on 10 hits and a walk while striking out five batters over six innings during Saturday’s win over Toronto. He didn’t factor into the decision. It was an encouraging start from the 26-year-old righty, but stringing together solid outings has been a challenge for Gausman this season. He is 1-1 with 6.17 ERA in two career starts against Houston.

Why Bet On Houston?

While the Orioles were off Thursday, the Astros were finishing up a four-game home series vs. Detroit. Carlos Correa was not in the lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Tigers. Correa also sat on Tuesday, as manager A.J. Hinch gave him a few days off to clear his head. He had been 0-for- 8 with three strikeouts in his last two games. He should be back in there for this one. Catcher Brian McCann (concussion) resumed hitting Wednesday. He could also may resume catching Thursday and might be ready to rejoin the Astros over the weekend. McCann was placed on the 7-day concussion disabled list April 21, retroactive to May 20, after taking a hard foul tip off his mask in New York. Ace Dallas Keuchel (neck) plans to return to the Astros’ rotation Saturday against the Orioles. That’s the first day he’s eligible for activation from the 10-day disabled list. “I feel a lot better,” Keuchel told reporters Tuesday. “The plan is still the same … good for Saturday.” The lefty was 7-0 with a sensational 1.84 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and 54/14 K/BB ratio in 63 2/3 innings before going down with a pinched nerve in his neck. It’s young Joe Musgrove (3-4, 5.63) on the mound here. Musgrove was obliterated in Sunday’s loss to the Indians, giving up seven runs on eight hits in three-plus innings of work. Musgrove also issued three walks while striking out four on the forgettable afternoon. He failed to record an out in the fourth inning, making it the shortest of his 19 major-league starts. Yan Gomes was responsible for most of the damage, with a run-scoring double in the second inning and a three-run blast in the third. The 24-year-old right-hander has battled mechanics in his delivery all season. Lacking a feel for his slider and changeup Sunday, he said he felt like he was just a two-pitch pitcher between his fastball and curveball against the Indians. “It’s tough right now,” he said. “I’ve been going through a real rough route the whole season, really. I’ve put together a couple good ones here and there, but I haven’t been myself, and I haven’t felt normal really the whole year.”

Baltimore at Houston MLB Betting Pick: Baltimore Orioles

That off day helps the Birds, and Gausman has at times been very good this year.