Tampa Bay Rays at Houston Astros Betting Preview/Prop Picks
30 September 2022
Time: 8:10 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay 16.184; Houston 15.274
Dunkel Line & Total: Tampa Bay by 1; 9
Vegas Line & Total: Houston (-175); 6 ½
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (+148); Over
The Tampa Bay Rays come into this game with an 85-71 record. This season, they've done remarkably well but are third in the AL East. With the season coming to a close, they need to close a three-game gap.
The Toronto Blue Jays have the second-place position with a record of 87-69. To do this, the Rays will need to get started by beating the Houston Astros tonight.
Houston won't be going down so easy, however, especially at home. This season, the Astros are 102-54 with a 51-24 record at home. The team has gone 3-2 in their last five games, and frankly, things are looking good for Houston.
They lead the AL West and have a 16.5-game lead over the second-place team. It shouldn't be much of a shock that they're the favorites.
Tampa Bay Rays: Rays need to get off to a fast start today
If you take a look at the last five games for the Tampa Bay Rays, you'll see a poor 1-4 record. In that time, they've lost to the Cleveland Guardians and the Toronto Blue Jays.
To secure a win tonight, the Rays need to get going much quicker. In all four of their losses, the Rays were only able to secure a single run. This won't work against one of the best teams in the entire league.
On the mound tonight is Drew Rasmussen, the Rays' best pitcher. Rasmussen has a record of 10-7 this season with an ERA of 2.85. With Rasmussen on the mound, the Rays definitely have a chance to win this game.
They'll need help from their batting group, however, which has a batting average of .241. They have an on-base percentage of .309 and have earned 651 runs.
Houston Astros: Astros search for their 103rd win of the year
After a loss last night to the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Astros are looking to bounce back. They have a sizable lead in their division, however, so they shouldn't be too worried about losses.
If they win tonight, it will be their 103rd win of the season, putting them 6.5-games above the Yankees. With the American League on the line, the Astros won't let up at all.
Houston is sending out Framber Valdez, who has a 16-5 record this season. With an ERA of 2.69 over the course of 191 innings, you'd argue he's their best pitcher.
They have a team batting average of .247, not one of the best but still very good. This season, they have an on-base percentage of .320 and a slugging percentage of .423.
Tampa Bay Rays at Houston Astros Betting Pick
The last five games have been rough on the Tampa Bay Rays. Because of this, we think a fire has been lit under them as the season comes to a close. They're in desperation mode and need to secure several wins before the season's over.
The Astros have already beaten the Rays three times this year. Although we think they'll end up winning this series, we're going to give Game 1 to the Tampa Bay Rays.
DunkelIndex Free Pick: Tampa Bay Rays +154, OVER
Prop Picks
Tampa Bay (-130) OVER 2.5 Runs
Tampa Bay is averaging 4.17 runs per 9 innings on offense, which ranks No. 21 in MLB. That average increases slightly to 4.20 runs per 9 innings on the road.
With Dunkel predicting a Tampa Bay win by the score of 5-4, take the Rays (-130) to finish OVER 2.5 runs scored versus the Astros.
Drew Rasmussen (-165) OVER 4.5 Hits Allowed
Houston is averaging 8.25 hits per 9 innings on offense, which ranks No. 13 in MLB. That average remains relatively steady at 8.24 hits per 9 innings at home.
With Dunkel predicting the final score going OVER the Vegas run total, take Rasmussen (-165) to finish OVER 4.5 hits allowed against the Astros.
Keep up with your latest MLB news coverage at The Dunkel Index.
All Media on this page by Associated Press.
