Back in January 2018, the Pittsburgh Pirates traded young ace pitcher Gerrit Cole to the Houston Astros because the Bucs knew they weren’t going to be able to afford Cole when he hit free agency after the 2019 season. On Tuesday, Cole faces his former teammates for the first time and is a huge favorite on the MLB Odds.
How to Bet Pirates at Astros MLB Odds & TV Info
- When: Tuesday, 8:10 PM ET
- Where: Minute Maid Park
- Probable pitchers (away/home): Trevor Williams/Gerrit Cole
- TV: MLB Extra Innings
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
- Radio: Sports 610 AM
- MLB Week 13 Betting Lines: Houston Astros -290 (Total 8.5)
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Why Bet on Pittsburgh?
Being as this is an interleague game in the AL park, Pittsburgh will add the designated hitter. The Bucs are on a four-game winning streak following Sunday’s 11-10 victory in 11 innings over the visiting Padres. Kevin Newman drew a game-winning walk to help his team rally from a three-run deficit in the 11th inning. The rookie second baseman was down 0-2 in the count with two outs before he took four straight balls from Matt Wisler to win the game. The Pirates scored four runs in the inning. That came after they scored three in the ninth to tie the game at 7 to walk away with a series sweep.
Third baseman Jose Osuna went 3-for-6 with an RBI single and a run scored Sunday. Osuna plated a run with a single in the fourth inning, and he also knocked a second single and a double in the contest. It was his first multi-hit game of the season, let alone three-hit performance — he had just six hits in 25 at-bats coming in.
Catcher Francisco Cervelli hopes to be cleared to begin a rehab assignment this week. Cervelli has been clear of concussion symptoms for a while and looks to be near game action. Also on the injured list is outfielder Gregory Polanco. Polanco missed the first month of the season after undergoing surgery on the shoulder. He hasn’t played well and is clearly still dealing with the bum wing. He has a .242 batting average with six home runs and 17 RBI in 42 games.
It’s Trevor Williams on the mound. Williams didn’t factor into the decision in Wednesday’s 8-7 win over the Tigers, surrendering seven runs on nine hits over five innings while striking out seven. While the seven K’s were a season high, that was about the only thing that went right for Williams in his first start off the injured list. The right-hander was tagged for multiple homers for the first time all year, and it was his shortest outing since the one in which he got hurt in mid-May. Williams will take a 4.12 ERA and 49:10 K:BB through 59 innings into this one. The Pirates expect another step forward now that Williams has shaken off the rust from a month-long stint on the IL.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 2.12
- Hits: 4.31
- Walks: 1.26
- Strike Outs: 3.76
- Runs: 2.56
- Hits: 4.28
- Walks: 1.75
- Strike Outs: 4.15
Why Bet on Houston?
Houston’s 27-11 (.711) record at home is tops in the AL.
The Astros ended a puzzling seven-game losing streak on Sunday with a 9-4 win over the Yankees to avoid a four-game sweep in the Bronx. Tyler White hit a grand slam in the third inning of Sunday’s win.
White took advantage of the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium, shooting a J.A. Happ delivery the opposite way to blow the game open in the fourth inning. The homer was just White’s third in 55 games this year after he hit 12 in 66 games last year. Yordan Alvarez went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run Sunday. He’s now got seven homers in his first 12 games in the majors, seamlessly transitioning from crushing minor league pitching to crushing major league pitching. Since 1920, when RBIs first became an official stat, Yordan Alvarez is the only player in history with at least 6 HR and 14 RBI through his first 11 games in the majors. His 30 combined HR between the majors (6) and minors (23) are the most by any player in baseball this year.
Houston starter Gerrit Cole spent his first five MLB seasons with Pittsburgh. Cole is rolling into the homestand opener with a Major League-leading 148 strikeouts.
Cole recorded eight strikeouts and allowed six hits and three walks across six innings during a no-decision against the Reds on Wednesday. For the fifth straight start, Cole allowed two earned runs or fewer, but for the third time during that stretch, he settled for a no-decision. In this outing, closer Roberto Osuna gave up the lead in the ninth. Cole is an underwhelming 6-5 with a 3.54 ERA, but his other numbers are great. He has a 1.02 WHIP, .206 batting average against and 148 strikeouts in 96.2 innings this season.
The Astros pitching staff leads the AL in WHIP (1.10) and opp. avg. (.215) and is 2nd in strikeouts (789) and ERA (3.72). They have also issued the fewest walks (213) in the AL.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 2.50
- Hits: 4.42
- Walks: 1.88
- Strike Outs: 3.38
- Runs: 1.91
- Hits: 3.49
- Walks: 1.33
- Strike Outs: 4.94
Pirates vs Astros MLB Betting Trends
- Pirates are 2-8 in their last 10 road games vs. a right-handed starter
- Astros are 11-1 in Cole’s last 12 home starts vs. a team with a losing record
- Pirates are 13-7 SU in their last 20 games against Houston
- The total has gone OVER in 6 of Pittsburgh’s last 7 games on the road
- Astros are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games this season
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston’s last 5 games at home
Expert Final Score Prediction for Pirates vs Astros
Pittsburgh Pirates 2 – Houston Astros 6
