The Houston Astros (70-60) travel to face off against the Philadelphia Phillies (76-54) on Monday, August 26th. This game will be played at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia and televised on FS1. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. First pitch is set for 5:40 CT.

Astros vs. Phillies Betting Prediction

• Money Line Prediction: Astros (+138)
• Over/Under Prediction: Over 8 Runs

• Astros have scored 6 or more runs in 7 of their last 15 games.
• Astros have won 10 of their last 15 games.
• Astros have a road record of 35-31, indicating strong performance away from home.
• Astros have a league rank of 6th, compared to the Phillies’ 2nd in their division, showing competitive standing.
• Astros have won 5 of their last 7 road games.

Astros vs Phillies

The Astros Are Coming Off A Win

Houston closed out their series vs. the Orioles with a 6-3 win on the road. Heading into the game, the Astros were the slight favorite at -108 on the money line. Things started off well for the Astros, as they got on the board with three runs in the 4th inning. The Orioles could only score three runs, all of which came in the 5th.

Yusei Kikuchi put together a good start for the Astros, going 5 2/3 innings and giving up just three runs on two hits. He only had four strikeouts in the outing and got the win. Alex Bregman was hot at the plate, going 2/5 with a homer and scoring two runs. The Astros also had three other players with two hits.

As the underdog, the Astros have been strong against the run line this season, going 24-11. They have covered the run line in six straight games as the underdog and in two straight games overall. Houston’s average run margin in winning games is +3.7, while their average run margin in losing games is -3.1.

Heading into today’s game, the Astros have an overall record of 70-60 and are 5-5 in their last 10 games. They lead the AL West by 4.5 games. This season, Houston has played in 60.8% of their games with lines set higher than 8 runs, and their over/under record when the line is 8 runs is 10-12-2.

Ronel Blanco Gets The Start For The Astros

Houston is sending Ronel Blanco to the mound today vs. the Phillies, and he comes in with a record of 9-6 and an ERA of 3.14. Blanco has made 24 starts this year and has pitched well on the road, going 5-2 with a 2.81 ERA. Overall, he has a batting average allowed of .183 and has turned in 12 quality starts. Blanco’s most recent outing came on August 20th, where he finished with a no-decision after giving up five earned runs in 3 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had gone three straight starts without taking the loss.

Astros Offense Breakdown

Yainer Diaz has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 10/29 in his last seven games with three homers. For the season, he is batting .301 with 16 home runs and 72 RBIs, which is the best mark on the team. Yordan Alvarez has also been a big power threat for the Astros, as his 25 homers are the best on the team and 11th in the league. He is also batting .306.

As a team, the Astros are averaging 4.6 runs per game and come into the game as the league’s 3rd best hitting team, with a batting average of .260. They are also one of the league’s best teams at avoiding strikeouts, but are just 24th in the league in walks. Houston is averaging 4.7 runs per game at home and 4.5 on the road.

The Phillies Are Coming Off A Win

Philadelphia closed out their series vs. the Royals with an impressive 11-3 win. Leading up to the game, they were the slight favorite at +119 on the money line. It was a big third inning that really turned things in their favor, and the Phillies added another three runs in the 4th to put things out of reach. Looking at the betting lines going into the game, the Phillies were the underdog at +119.

Kolby Allard put together a good start for the Phillies, going five innings and giving up just two runs on eight hits. He only had two strikeouts in the outing and got the win.

Philadelphia, leading the NL East by six games over the Braves, will host the Astros today with an overall record of 76-54. The Phillies have a 42-23 home record and have won two straight games, including their last series vs. the Royals.

The Phillies have an over/under record of 61-63 at home, with their games averaging 8 runs per game this season. The over has hit 17 times when the total is set at 8 runs, and they are currently on a three-game over streak.

Zack Wheeler Gets The Start For The Phillies

Zack Wheeler gets the start for the Phillies today and will be looking to bounce back from his last outing, where he took the loss. Against the Braves on August 20th, he went six innings, giving up two earned runs, and taking the loss. Looking back further, Wheeler has been solid, as he had a stretch of three straight outings where he allowed just one earned run. Wheeler’s ERA for the season is 2.73, along with a record of 12-6. Opponents are batting .190 off Wheeler this season. He has made 25 starts, and opponents have hit 17 homers off him.

Phillies Offense Breakdown

Not only do the Phillies have the 4th best team batting average in the league, but they are also 6th in runs per game at 4.9. At home, they have been even better, averaging 5.3 runs per contest. As a team, they are also among the league leaders in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS.

Heading into the game, the Phillies have a few players on nice hitting streaks, including Bryce Harper and Bryson Stott, who have both hit safely in four straight games. Over his last five games, J.T. Realmuto has gone 7/17 with two homers and nine RBIs. Alec Bohm and Kyle Schwarber have also been key run producers this season, with Bohm’s 88 RBIs leading the team and Schwarber’s 82 RBIs good for 2nd on the team and 13th in the league.

Astros vs Phillies Prediction

Our pick for today’s Astros vs. Phillies matchup is to take the Astros on the money line, where they are currently sitting at +138. We have the Astros winning this one by a score of 5-4, giving us a little bit of wiggle room if you wanted to take the Astros on the run line.

Looking at today’s starting pitchers, Zack Wheeler is projected to finish with five strikeouts compared to Ronel Blanco, who we have finishing with five as well. However, we have Blanco finishing with fewer earned runs, and we have Wheeler giving up four.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.