Houston Astros vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction, 5/21/2025 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Houston Astros vs Tampa Bay Rays

Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Location: George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, FL

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Sun

Odds/Point Spread: Houston (-144) Tampa Bay (+120)

The Houston Astros (25-22) are on their way to George M. Steinbrenner Field on Wednesday where they will play the Tampa Bay Rays (21-26). The moneyline on this game has the Astros at -144 and the Rays are coming in at +120. The betting total is set at 9. The pitchers expected to start will be Hunter Brown and Taj Bradley.

Houston is slugging .375 and have struck out 358 times, while drawing a walk on 151 occasions. They have accrued 180 RBI's in addition to 383 hits on the year, while their batting average comes in at .246. The Astros have compiled 67 two-baggers as a team and have smacked 41 balls out of the park. They have earned a total of 189 runs scored while holding a team on-base percentage of .318. As a squad, the Houston Astros are notching 4.0 runs per contest, which has them at 20th in baseball.

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Their strikeout to walk ratio is 3.06 and the pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.12. Astros pitchers have conceded 42 long balls and also 168 runs in total (6th in baseball). Houston has given up 321 hits (7.0 per 9 innings) in addition to 155 earned runs. The Astros have an ERA of 3.38 on the year (7th in MLB), and they have struck out 432 hitters. They have walked 141 batters and their FIP is 3.45 as a team on the year.

The Astros relief pitchers have a save rate of 76.5% and have stepped onto the mound in 45 save situations. The relief pitchers have inherited 49 runners for the year and 32.7% of those runners ended up crossing the plate. Astros pitchers have entered the contest with runners on 33 times and also have had 36 appearances in high leverage situations. The Astros have sent 145 relievers to the mound so far this season. The bullpen have accumulated 28 holds this season (12th in MLB). They have compiled 13 saves this season and have not converted 4 out of their 17 save opportunities.

The Detroit Tigers are sitting with 1,238 putouts for the season, as well as 345 assists and 19 errors. Their fielding rate is currently at .988 which ranks 8th in the majors, and have 24 double plays. The Astros have converted 72.6% of balls hit into play into outs in their 3,714 innings on the diamond, which has them ranked 3rd in professional baseball.

Brown has taken the mound for 402 innings and has earned 446 strikeouts during his pro baseball career. His ERA is 3.69 (165 earned runs allowed) and his WHIP is 1.236. He has given up 361 hits (8.1 hits per 9 innings) and has 136 free passes. Brown (30-24 career record) holds a FIP of 3.64 and he has gone up against 1,665 hitters in the major leagues.

Tampa Bay has knocked in 40 HRs on the season to go along with 174 runs batted in. They have recorded 65 two-baggers, while getting a free base 140 times as well as racking up 182 runs. The Tampa Bay Rays have accumulated an on-base percentage of .305 as well as a batting average of .241 so far this season. The Rays hold a team slugging percentage of .363 and they earn 3.87 runs per game (24th in MLB). They have been rung up on 402 occasions (12th in baseball) and have tallied 380 hits.

The Rays hold a team WHIP of 1.223 with a FIP of 4.52 as a unit this year. They are currently ranked 15th in the league as a staff in total hits surrendered with 380. The Tampa Bay pitching staff have surrendered 192 runs on the year and come in with a team ERA of 3.92 (183 earned runs yielded). Their K/BB ratio is 7.60 (356 strikeouts vs 134 free passes). They have given up 66 long balls and they allow 4.11 runs per 9 innings (13th in MLB).

Sitting with 41 save situations, the Rays have earned 23 holds and 6 blown saves. Tampa Bay has called on relievers to step onto the hill in 18 save chances and they have come away with 12 saves. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the hill 50 times in high leverage situations and on 24 occasions with runners on base. Tampa Bay relievers hold an inherited score percentage of 41.7% out of their 36 inherited runners. They rank 11th in MLB with a save rate of 66.7%, and they have sent 150 bullpen pitchers onto the field on the year.

The Tampa Bay Rays have turned 53 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .988 (9th in professional baseball). The Rays have 450 assists, 21 errors and have amassed 1,262 putouts over the course of the season. In their 3,786 innings played, the Rays have accumulated a defensive efficiency of 71.9% (6th in pro baseball).

During his MLB career, Bradley has surrendered 274 base hits while totaling 324 K's in 292 innings. He has surrendered 155 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.306 and having a FIP of 4.7. His strikeout to walk ratio is 3.00 and he has faced 1,251 batters so far in his pro baseball career. Bradley (16-22 career record) is the owner of a 4.77 ERA while allowing 8.4 hits per nine innings.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Tampa Bay (+120)

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