The Houston Astros (53-35) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (56-33) will close out their high profile interleague series on Sunday in this Astros vs. Dodgers prediction. The Astros won the first game by a massive 18-1 score, then won the second game on Saturday night 6-4. This will be the only series played between these teams this season. Houston will start Colton Gordon (4.37 ERA) while the Dodgers go with Emmett Sheehan (2.25 ERA). First pitch is set for 4:10 EST. Keep reading to see our Astros vs. Dodgers prediction, and keep up with all of our winning MLB Picks!
Houston Starts Strong
This is a clash of the titans, as the Houston Astros are the leaders of the AL West, taking on the Dodgers from the top of the NL West. Houston has set the tone in this series, they won big on Friday 18-1 and followed it up with another win on Saturday night on national television. Houston has a strong 7.0 game lead over the Mariners who sit in second in the AL West. In Saturday's game, Isaac Parades went 2-4 in the win over LA.
Parades is in his first season with the Astros as a 26-year-old third baseman. He has been well-traveled in his short career, making stops with the Tigers, Rays and Cubs before landing in Houston. He has taken over the leadoff spot for the Astros, and is also their top power hitter as he leads the team with 18 home runs and 48 RBIs while batting .255. Jose Altuve has been playing primarily in left field, but took second base on Saturday night, he bats third in the lineup and has added 15 home runs and 44 RBIs on the season. Christian Walker is another batter with power for Houston, he bats cleanup with 11 home runs and 43 RBIs as their first baseman.
Colton Gordon will make his 10th start of the season as a 26-year-old left-hander. He has a 3-1 record, with the team going 4-1 overall in his last five starts. His ERA is 4.37 to go with 41 strikeouts against just seven walks. In his last start, Gordon gave up four earned runs in 4.2 innings in a win over the Rockies.
Dodgers Hold Big Lead in Division
The Los Angeles Dodgers lost the first two games of this series, but it is not time to panic yet, as they still hold a healthy lead in the NL West. Los Angeles leads the second-place Padres by 7.5 games, so they can afford to lose a game here or there while staying on top of the division. It is still before the All-Star Break, but if the season ended today they would be the top seed in the National League. On Saturday, the Dodgers got two scoreless innings from Shohei Ohtani on the mound in the loss.
The team has slowly been working Ohtani back to the mound, but he has not yet pitched more than two innings in any of his starts. He looked strong on Saturday, but the rest of the staff gave up six runs in the loss. Even while pitching, he was still their leadoff hitter and has 30 home runs and 56 RBIs on the season. Andy Pages has been enjoying a breakout season, the 24-year old outfielder is in strong contention for a reserve spot on the All-Star team as he leads LA with 58 RBIs while hitting 17 home runs. Will Smith will start in the All-Star Game alongside Ohtani, Smith has the best batting average on the team at .330 while taking the catcher spot and adding 12 homers and 45 RBIs.
The Dodgers will send Emmett Sheehan to the mound for this one, he is a 25-year-old right-hander making just his second start of the season. In his first game, he pitched four innings giving up just one run in a win over the Padres.
Best Bets for Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
The Dodgers dropped the first two games of this series and are sending out a pitcher making his second start of the season, but this team is still too good to get swept at home. The lineup is still strong, Ohtani, Betts, Freeman and Smith are all healthy, plus a slew of other players who will battle for spots as reserves on the All-Star team. Sheehan hits the mound for Los Angeles, he only has one start, but it did go well as he held the strong Padres lineup to just one run in a win. Houston is sending out Gordon, and he gave up four earned runs to the Rockies last time out. The Dodgers are not going to get swept at home, back in Los Angeles for an easy win.
Take the Dodgers to win.
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
The teams combined for 19 runs in the first game, and 10 in the second game, they will go over again in the third here as the offenses continue to roll. Admittedly, saying the teams combined for 19 on Friday is misleading, as Houston had 18 of those runs, but Los Angeles is not some weak offense that cannot be trusted. These teams are tied for the best batting average in all of baseball, as they are both hitting .261 collectively at the plate to top the Majors. The Dodgers are top of the league in run production and home runs, they will power their way back here against Gordon.
Take the over.
Want a second opinion on this pick?
For another opinion on this game, check out Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Prediction from Statsalt, our partner site.
