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Over Strong Pick for Orioles vs Astros, Sept. 19

· Sep 19 - 4 minutes read

On Tuesday, the second game of this series between two of the top teams in MLB, the Baltimore Orioles and the Houston Astros, will continue. While both teams are division leaders, the Orioles are trying to get the No. 1 seed in the American League.

In the first game, it took a ninth-inning, three-run homer by Cedric Mullins for the Orioles to pull out the 8-7 win. It could be exciting if the first game is a precursor for the rest of the series or even a possible playoff matchup.

Over Strong Pick for Orioles vs Astros, Sept. 19

Starting Pitchers

Kyle Gibson (14-9, 4.98 ERA) vs Hunter Brown (11-11, 4.61)

Despite a 7.79 ERA in August for the Orioles, Kyle Gibson is probably still one of this team’s best starters. He is now proving that to be the case early in September. He has a 2.84 ERA through 12.1 innings in his two starts this month. It still is not perfect, which could hurt Baltimore’s MLB odds for this game, since he has allowed a homer in each of his last two outings.

On the other hand, Hunter Brown is coming off an impressive start for the Astros, which you would not have guessed based on his two prior appearances. In Hunter’s last outing, he pitched five shutout innings with seven strikeouts. However, in the two starts before that, he allowed 11 runs, nine earned, with two homers, through 8.1 innings.

Mullins Making Orioles a Winning Pick

This season has been magical for Baltimore, a surprise contender for who has the best record in MLB. No one expected them to take this big of a leap, leading the AL East by 2½ games and setting up to be the top seed in the playoffs.

CEDRIC MULLINS HOMERS FOR THE LEAD IN THE 9TH!

ORIOLES MAGIC pic.twitter.com/Tl8LJrBw9J

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 19, 2023

A big reason for the team’s success has been players stepping up in the right moments, like Mullins in the last two games. Against the Astros, his three-run homer in the ninth won the game for the Orioles.

On top of that, in the previous game against the Tampa Bay Rays, the team with the second-best record in the AL, Mullins came up big late. In the 11th inning, Mullins hit a sacrifice fly to earn a split of a four-game series that had a chance to change the Orioles’ MLB lines for the playoffs.

While it is not logical to side with a team based on how “clutch” they have been this season, the Orioles are proving it is something to note for MLB picks.

Astros Teetering

Losing the opening game of this series is not great for the Astros, especially in such crushing fashion after taking a 7-5 lead heading into the ninth. The Astros’ standing in the division is not nearly as solid as the team would want.

The Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners are only 1½ games behind Houston in the race for the AL West. If the Astros don’t eventually secure the division, they will be forced into the Wild Card, making it harder for them to repeat as World Series Champions.

Houston’s current position is mainly due to its own doing. In the two series before facing the Orioles, they lost to the Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals, the worst teams in the AL. Houston barely avoided being swept in both series.

Orioles vs Astros Bets Bets

With how the first game went, picking a winner for BetUS MLB today’s best bets will be challenging. However, with how well each lineup did and having two pitchers taking the mounds that are not extremely reliable, the over for this game might be the best option in MLB betting.

MLB Best Bet: Over 9 (-105)