At some point, it’s just going to all come together for the Houston Astros. The bad juju that has afflicted the team from the whole cheating scandal will soon be forgotten once the Astros put together one of MLB’s best hitting lineups with a strong pitching rotation.

IT PAYS TO BET ON THE GAMES AT AMERICA’S BOOKIE

Up for Houston on Thursday is right-hander Zack Greinke, who gets the start against his former team. Will he put the clamps on Arizona?

Game: Houston Astros (5-4, 4-5 ATS) at Arizona Diamondback (3-7, 3-7 ATS)

When: 7:07 PM ET, Thursday, August 6, 2020

Where: Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona

Current Run Line: N/A Total: N/A

TV Coverage: FOX

Bettors can finally breathe a sigh of relief after MLB commish Rob Manfred told the MLBPA that he will cancel the season if guidelines are not followed more strictly. With the NBA and NHL back in action, along with MLB, PGA, NASCAR, UFC and much more, this week’s betting scene has a great view.

Greinke has yet to record a decision in his two starts this year. He only went 3 and 1/3 innings in his first start against the Mariners, giving up 3 earned runs on 4 hits while walking 2.

He faired a little better in his second and most recent start on August 1st versus the Angels. The 36 year old former first round draft pick pitched 5.2 innings, allowing 3 hits and 2 runs, striking out four and issuing no free passes. The Astros still lost 5.4.

Houston is batting .255 as a team, but stars like George Springer, former AL MVP Jose Altuve, and slugger Alex Bregman have struggled. Springer is batting just .182 but he does have two home runs. Like Springer, Bregman has hit two homers, but he’s batting just .211. Altuve, a career .314 hitter, is hitting a dismal .158.

Still, the 5-4 Astros are better off than Arizona. The Diamondbacks are dead last in the NL West and they have lost four of their last five games. Arizona has been favored exactly once so far this season.

The D-Backs were a -105 moneyline favorite against Texas on July 28. Bettors backing Arizona were winners as the D-Backs scored a 4-1 victory.

Does the Shortened MLB Season Open the Door for Underdog Teams?

In their 10 games through August 2, Arizona has just three wins. Two of those victories came when pitcher Zac Gallen was the starter. Guess who starts for Arizona on Thursday night?

Gallen’s last start was in a win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yes, the same Dodgers that are favored to go to the World Series this season. Gallen struck out the first four batters he faced, ran into some trouble in the fourth inning, and finished giving up just two runs on five hits.

In his previous start, Gallen struck out six and gave up just two hits and one run. He has yet to have a decision, but Gallen has 15 strikeouts and an ERA of just 2.70. 

Bettors making their sports betting picks should pay close attention to the moneyline. If priced right, Arizona might be the better play. In their three wins in the last ten games, the D-Backs were priced between -105 and +116. At anything over +120, bettors are probably better off backing Houston.

The other play is the Total.

Interestingly, with the Total set at 9.0, the Over has hit three times with two pushes.

The Under has only hit in Astros games when the Total was set at 10. The Under hit in two of three Astros games this season.

FREE PICK: The odds are not released at the time of publication, but watch the moneyline, and take Arizona between -105 and +116. Watch the total as well.

Pick by: Coach Rick

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