Astros vs Pirates MLB Handicapping

[stephanie duffy]

Courtesy of OddsShark.com

Divisional bragging rights will be on the line on Friday when the Houston Astros and the Pittsburgh Pirates meet at PNC Park.

The Astros will trot Bud Norris out to the mound in this one. Righthander Norris has a 2-1 record and a 4.58 ERA this season.

Norris's opponent in this one will be James McDonald. The Pirates righthander has a 2.70 ERA to go along with a 2-1 record this season.

Oddsmakers currently have the Pirates listed as 137-moneyline favorites versus the Astros, while the game's total is sitting at 7½.

Last time out for Houston, they were a 5-3 loser as they battled the Marlins at home. Moneyline bettors who got the Marlins at -145 were rewarded, while the 8 combined runs moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

The Pirates were a 4-2 loser in their most recent outing at home against the Nationals. That made winners of bettors who got Washington at -157 on the moneyline, while the total score (6) was good news for UNDER bettors.

Team records:
Houston: 14-17 SU
Pittsburgh: 14-17 SU

Houston most recently:
When playing on Friday are 1-9
Before playing Pittsburgh are 5-5
After playing Miami are 2-8
After a loss are 5-5

Pittsburgh most recently:
When playing on Friday are 1-9
Before playing Houston are 4-6
After playing Washington are 6-4
After a loss are 9-1

A few trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston's last 7 games on the road
Houston is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
Houston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
Houston is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Pittsburgh's last 19 games at home
Pittsburgh is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games
Pittsburgh is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Houston

Next up:
Pittsburgh home to Houston, Saturday, May 12