Houston Astros at Cleveland Indians Expert MLB Picks Against the Spread 7/31/2019
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Progressive Field
Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.
Probable Pitchers: Jose Urquidy vs. Adam Plutko
Francisco Lindor and the Cleveland Indians (62-43, 2nd in AL Central) play the Houston Astros (68-39, 1st in AL West) at Progressive Field on Wednesday, July 31, 2019. The odds on this matchup have the Astros priced at -138 and the Indians are at +128. The O/U has been set at 10.
The Astros have been an excellent pick for wagerers, having gone 68-39-0 SU. Cleveland covers 59.1% of the time, going 62-43-0 straight up. The Astros have been awful for Las Vegas oddsmakers as the favorite, going 66-34-0 SU. Cleveland covers 61.1% of the time as the underdog, having gone 11-7-0 straight up.
Valuable Houston Astros Betting Trends
The Astros have been an excellent Under play for O/U MLB wagerers, having gone 46-57-4.
The Astros are covering 53.8% of the time as the visitor, having gone 28-24-0 straight up.
Important Cleveland Indians Betting Trends
Cleveland covers 60.4% of the time at Progressive Field, going 32-21-0 SU.
The Indians have been a decent Under play for O/U MLB wagerers, having gone 46-55-4.
Key Houston Astros Injuries
7/29/2019 Jake Marisnick CF Suspension Suspended until Aug 1
7/28/2019 Josh James RP Shoulder Expected to be out until at least Aug 15
7/27/2019 Ryan Pressly RP Knee Probable for Jul 30
7/21/2019 Brad Peacock SP Shoulder Expected to be out until at least Aug 15
6/9/2019 Lance McCullers SP Elbow Out for the season
Key Cleveland Indians Injuries
7/29/2019 Danny Salazar SP Shoulder Expected to be out until at least Aug 2
7/29/2019 Bradley Zimmer CF Side Expected to be out until at least Jul 30
7/28/2019 Dan Otero RP Shoulder Expected to be out until at least Jul 30
7/26/2019 Jefry Rodriguez SP Shoulder Expected to be out until at least Aug 23
7/18/2019 Corey Kluber SP Forearm Expected to be out until at least Aug 20
7/13/2019 Christian Arroyo 3B Elbow Expected to be out until at least Aug 12
7/12/2019 Cody Anderson RP Elbow Out for the season
7/12/2019 Carlos Carrasco SP Illness Expected to be out until at least Aug 20
Useful Pitching Statistics
The Astros have a 68-39 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Jose Urquidy has a 1-0 record with an earned run average of 4.26 and a WHIP of 1.21 this season. He has 23 strikeouts over his 19 innings pitched and he's given up 20 hits. He's allowed 9.5 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 2.65. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.83 and they have given up 312 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .226 against the bullpen and they've struck out 389 hitters and walked 130 batters. As a team, Houston allows 7.4 hits per nine innings while striking out 10.1 batters per nine innings. They are 4th in the league in team earned run average at 3.77. The Astros pitchers collectively have given up 794 base hits and 403 earned runs. They have allowed 158 home runs this season, ranking them 8th in the league. Houston as a pitching staff has walked 302 batters and struck out 1,084. They have walked 2.8 men per 9 innings while striking out 10.1 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.14 and their FIP as a unit is 4.14.
Related: Get MLB tips & picks on all of today's games
Hitting Statistics
As a team Houston is hitting .270, good for 4th in the league. The Astros hold a .477 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .346, which is good for 2nd in baseball. They rank 5th in MLB with 9.3 hits per game. Michael Brantley is hitting .325 with an on-base percentage of .386. He has 127 hits this season in 391 at bats with 60 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .524 and an OPS+ of 140. George Springer is hitting .296 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .381. He has totaled 87 hits and he has driven in 61 men in 294 at bats. His OPS+ is 156 while his slugging percentage is at .602. The Astros have 993 hits, including 203 doubles and 175 home runs. Houston has walked 406 times so far this season and they have struck out 771 times as a unit. They have left 766 men on base and have a team OPS of .823. They score 5.23 runs per contest and have scored a total of 560 runs this year.
Useful Pitching Statistics
Cleveland has a 62-43 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 4.83, Adam Plutko has a 3-2 record and a 1.15 WHIP. He has 32 strikeouts over the 54 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 54 hits. He's allowing 9 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 6.21. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.30 and they have given up 302 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .238 against the Indians bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 338 batters and walked 101 opposing hitters. As a team, Cleveland allows 8 hits per nine innings while striking out 9.6 batters per nine innings. They are 3rd in the league in team earned run average at 3.75. The Indians pitchers as a team have surrendered 829 base knocks and 389 earned runs this season. They have given up 135 home runs this year, which ranks 21st in Major League Baseball. Cleveland as a staff has walked 291 hitters and struck out 993 batters. They give up a walk 2.8 times per 9 innings while they strike out 9.6 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.20 while their FIP as a staff is 4.07.
Hitting Statistics
As a team, they are batting .250, good for 16th in the league. The Indians hold a .427 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .324, which is good for 14th in baseball. They rank 22nd in MLB with 8.4 hits per contest. Francisco Lindor comes into this matchup batting .302 with an OBP of .353. He has 109 hits this year along with 43 RBI in 361 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .524 with an OPS+ of 124. Carlos Santana is hitting .282 this season and he has an OBP of .403. He has collected 104 hits in 369 at bats while driving in 57 runs. He has an OPS+ of 139 and a slugging percentage of .523. The Indians as a unit have 878 base hits, including 179 doubles and 140 homers. Cleveland has walked 371 times this year and they have struck out on 856 occasions. They have had 712 men left on base and have an OPS of .752. They have scored 4.66 runs per game and totaled 489 runs this season.
Who will win tonight's Astros/Indians MLB game against the spread?
Josh's Pick: Take the Astros -138
Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here
Read more articles by Josh Schonwald
Get all of Today's Free MLB Picks
Get all of Today's Expert MLB Picks