Diamondbacks vs Astros Series Prediction: Houston Pitching to Ice Arizona Batting

Both teams are playing solid baseball lately and rank among the league’s best in several key stats. I know, it’s a lot to handle if you’re betting online, but don’t worry—I’ve got you covered. Just follow my lead, and if you can’t keep up, well, just do your best—remember, I can’t hear you (you’re sitting in front of a computer). Kapish? Let’s do this.

Diamondbacks vs Astros Series Overview

Game 1: Pitching Dominance—Houston’s Valdez Overpowers Arizona’s Pfaadt

Right off the bat—see what I did there? Tough crowd. I thought it was a good pun. Lighten up. What I’m trying to say is that both teams have been smashing the ball, driving in a combined 67 runs in their last five games. But that won’t be the case this time around.

For Game 1, the Diamondbacks (+149) are sending right-hander Brandon Pfaadt to the mound. The 25-year-old has been pitching well lately, sporting a 9-7 record and just missing the league’s top 20 in strikeouts with 155, landing in 21st place.

In his last start against the tough Los Angeles Dodgers, saying he held his own doesn’t do him justice. He not only picked up the win but pitched 5.2 innings, allowed eight hits, and struck out 10. Remember, this was against a top NL Dodgers team with their hot bats this year—those are great numbers. He’ll look to keep the arm hot and bring the heat to Houston for the three-game series.

Now, just when you thought the pitching couldn’t get any better—it can. The Astros are sending their ace, Framber Valdez, to the mound. Unlike Pfaadt, Valdez has been exceptional nearly every time he starts, with a 13-6 record and a 3.11 ERA, ranking 8th in the MLB. To top it off, in his last start at home, Valdez pitched seven innings without allowing any hits or runs and recorded seven strikeouts. That’s not just impressive—I’d call it outstanding.

Framber Valdez threw seven no-hit innings, allowed three walks and struck out seven batters.

The Dominican southpaw finished with 98 pitches#Relentless pic.twitter.com/JuUWny5RHw

— Lorenzo (@lorenzodelgad0) August 31, 2024

Game 2: Lopsided Pitching Matchup Favors the Astros

Game 2 takes a bit of a turn in terms of the pitching matchup. The Astros have Yusei Kikuchi getting the start, and while he might not be on Valdez’s level, Kikuchi is far from a slouch, especially lately. Seriously, he may have a 7-9 record with a 4.24 ERA, but after his last start, I’ve got a whole new perspective on the Japanese southpaw.

Check this out MLB betting fans: In his latest outing against the Royals, Kikuchi pitched 7 innings, allowed only five hits, and racked up 12 strikeouts. Exactly, I had the same reaction. Kikuchi might have tapped into a new gear. Watch out, Arizona.

Yusei Kikuchi: 7ip, 5H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB, 12K. 101 pitches/75 strikes. Tremendous acquisition by GM Dana Brown.
pic.twitter.com/UhS3RH0A6M

— Mark Berman (@MarkBerman_) September 1, 2024

Oh, and by the way, the Diamondbacks are nearly dead last in the league, sitting at 28th for strikeouts with a total of 1,078, and it looks like their Game 2 plan won’t help much, as they’re going with southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez. Who? I know, right? This is where the questions start because, while the Astros are rolling out top-tier pitchers, Rodriguez is making just his third start of the year with a 2-1 record.

His latest start, also against the Dodgers this past week, wasn’t pretty. The ninth-year pitcher was pulled after just four innings, allowing seven hits, three runs, and only managed to collect one strikeout. Yikes, right? And you don’t think a hot-hitting Astros team will take advantage of that?

Game 3: Pitching Showdown Tightens Up

To wrap up the series, this pitching matchup might be the most evenly matched yet, featuring two right handers: Arizona’s Ryne Nelson and Houston’s Ronel Blanco. Both pitchers sport a 10-6 record for the season and have allowed nearly the same number of home runs—Blanco with 21 and Nelson with 16.

Even looking further down the stat sheet and their recent performances, both pitchers have had standout games and deserve their own spotlight. Astros’ Blanco faced the Royals, going five innings without giving up any runs, surrendering just three hits, and tallied three strikeouts. And yes, his glove was ‘sticky substance’ free, according to MLB news outlets. Meanwhile, Nelson pitched 6.2 innings earlier this week against the Giants, recording a career-high 9 strikeouts and allowing only two runs.

Another fantastic day for Ryne Nelson comes to an end.

Line: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 Ks

He has 5 straight quality starts. pic.twitter.com/q63DYFXpuQ

— Alex Weiner (@alexjweiner) September 4, 2024

Diamondbacks vs Astros Series Betting Prediction

Bet on Astros to Hold Fort Down 2-1

Come on, do you really think the Diamondbacks are going to pull off this series win against a top AL West team like the Astros? The Astros not only have home-field advantage for the whole series but also have the third-best ERA and rank second in strikeouts. To be clear—the Diamondbacks are far from pushovers—leading the league in RBIs and are second in batting average with .263, just behind the Padres.

But here’s where the Astros have the edge: pitching. They’ve got the stuff to shut down any lineup. Arizona is near the bottom of the league for strikeouts and 27th in ERA. The Astros should make the most of this weaker pitching staff and have a great time at Minute Maid Park. For my MLB prediction, I’m betting on the Astros to take this series 2-1 at -175 odds.

Bet on the Diamondbacks vs Astros Series at BetUS

Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets

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