Arizona Diamondbacks vs Houston Astros Prediction and Betting Preview April 13
Arizona Diamondbacks vs Houston Astros Betting Odds
WagerTalk MLB analyst Brian Ochsner offers his Arizona Diamondbacks vs Houston Astros preview for Wednesday, April 13. Houston squeaked by the Diamondbacks last night taking the lead in the top of the ninth and winning 2-1.
| Wednesday, April 13 | MLB Betting Notes, Courtesy of Caesars |
|---|---|
| Moneyline: | Arizona Diamondbacks (+140) vs Houston Astros (-165) |
| Runline: | Diamondbacks +1.5 (-120) / Astros -1.5 (+100) |
| Total: | 8.5 Runs (Over -120 / Under +100) |
| Game Time: | 3:40pm ET / 12:40pm PT |
| Where: | Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ |
| Weather: | 75 Degrees / Clear |
Arizona Diamondbacks vs Houston Astros Analysis
The Houston Astros finish a two-game series at Chase Field against the Diamondbacks, with Framber Valdez going up against Merrill Kelly.
Arizona looks to break even with the Astros after they lost a close 2-1 game Tuesday night. Both teams have similar stories finishing up the first week of the season: Solid pitching that’s held the opposition in check, but with an offense that’s struggled to score runs.
The Astros are one of the best teams in baseball with a 4-1 record. Framber Valdez had an excellent first start April 7 against the Angels going 6.2 innings, giving up zero earned runs, two hits and just one walk.
The Venezuelan southpaw comes off a very good 2021 campaign, with an ERA of 3.14 and a 1.25 WHIP, and should be able to handle the anemic Arizona lineup that’s only scored 12 runs in the first five games.
Astros Offense Sluggish to Start
Houston’s offense has gotten off to a slow start, scoring 22 runs in the first five games – but plated 13 of those on April 8. Manager Dusty Baker is a little concerned about the lack of hitting to start the year.
But they still have a talented lineup that includes Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez and SS Jeremy Pena, who replaced Carlos Correa.
And they played in the World Series last year, losing to the Atlanta Braves. Once Houston hitters get more games and at-bats, they should come around in the next few weeks.
Kelly Looks to Crush Again For Diamondbacks
Merrill Kelly had a solid opening start against the Padres on April 8 going four innings, giving up 0 earned runs, four hits, striking out seven and walking just two.
And the D-Backs pitching has been pretty good to start the year. But like most teams across baseball, the challenge has been scoring runs.
Averaging less than three runs per game makes it really tough to win – unless your pitchers have a really good game.
It looks like Arizona will continue to struggle until enough talented players in their minor league system – considered one of the best in baseball – are ready for the big leagues.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs Houston Astros Prediction
Early Season Betting Tip: As I look across the first few games across the league, most teams have struggled at the plate and pitchers have had an edge over hitters due to the shortened spring training.
I think we should consider the first two or three weeks of the season as extended spring training, because they haven’t gotten the amount of innings or at-bats as in previous seasons.
By late April or early May, most hitters should find their groove and we should look at betting more full game overs. But for now, I’d lean towards the unders for both 1st five innings and full game.
Betting Recommendation: Both pitchers are off to a good start this season and it’s an inter-league game, which means these teams don’t play each other very often.
Neither pitcher faced the opposing lineup last season, which gives them an advantage. Valdez and Kelly should be able to get through the lineup twice without a lot of hits or runs.
While I think you’d be fine to bet the under for the game with two struggling offenses, full game over/under wagers carry more risk because of the unpredictability of a team’s bullpen. That’s why my best bet for this matchup is the 1st 5 innings under.
Prediction: Under 1st 5 innings total
Interested in placing a bet on Wednesday’s Arizona Diamondbacks vs Houston Astros clash? Caesars Sports is offering up to a $1,500 match bet for first-time deposits in New Jersey, West Virginia, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Virginia, Tennessee, Arizona, New York and Louisiana.
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First Pitch | MLB Betting Preview for April 12
Join Drew Martin and a rotating panel of guests for First Pitch as we break down the daily baseball slate from a betting perspective. Max Scherzer is back on the mound today for the Mets as he was able to pick up a win against the Nationals in his season debut. Join WagerTalk’s team of MLB betting experts every weekday at 1:45pm ET / 10:45am PT for First Pitch as we discuss the baseball betting slate.
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WagerTalk’s live odds screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the MLB moneylines, run lines and betting percentages for all of Tuesday’s baseball games, including this Arizona Diamondbacks vs Houston Astros showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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Meet the Author
Brian Ochsner graduated from Kansas State University with degrees in Accounting and Agribusiness. He’s a life-long baseball fan and “numbers guy” who tolerates the Colorado Rockies (bad ownership), and is a Denver Broncos and Kansas State Wildcats fan. Along with his interest in the sports wagering industry, he enjoys eating good BBQ, reading books on marketing, finance and economics, and playing Texas Hold ‘Em poker.
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