Houston at Pittsburgh Free Gambling Pick

[Shame About Ray]

BetUS MLB betting odds: Pittsburgh -125, Houston +105; Total 9.5

A couple of teams limping toward the All-Star break will get together on Tuesday night as the Houston Astros (41-49) tangle with the Pittsburgh Pirates (41-47) in National League action set to go at 7:05 PM ET at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.



Right-handers will oppose each other, as Brandon Backe (5-9, 5.22 ERA) of the Astros goes up against Ian Snell (3-7, 5.99 ERA) of the Pirates.

At BetUS online sportsbook, Pittsburgh is listed as a -125 sports wagering favorite (Houston is +105), with a total of 9.5 runs (the Over is -120, while the Under is even money).

Here are some of the MLB Baseball betting trends as they relate to this sports betting matchup:

* HOU has lost six of its last seven games
* HOU has played 12 of its last 17 games UNDER the total
* HOU has lost 14 of its last 18 road games
* PITT has played five of its last six games OVER the total
* PITT has played six of its last eight home games OVER the total

In the HEAD-TO-HEAD sports betting trends:

* PITT has won 13 of the last 19 meetings
* Fourteen of the last 20 meetings have gone UNDER the total
* PITT has won seven of the last ten meetings as the home team
* Nine of the last 11 meetings in Pittsburgh have gone UNDER the total

These two teams are battling it out - sort of - to stay out of the cellar in the National League's Central division. Pittsburgh is now a game ahead of the Astros, and two games ahead in the loss column. Houston is nine games under the .500 mark on the road, while Pittsburgh is seven games over the .500 mark at home, and a very solid 16-6 as a favorite.

On Monday the Pirates won a wild 10-7 decision behind a two-run homer by Ryan Doumit, and that not only marked Houston's sixth loss in seven games, but also their third straight loss in the ongoing series with Pittsburgh. The Astros are currently eleventh in the National League, scoring four runs per game on the road, while Pittsburgh is last in the NL in runs allowed on an overall basis, giving up 5.6 per contest.

Starting pitcher Brandon Backe has struggled lately for Houston. Backe, who began the season giving up just four runs in his first 16 innings, was lifted with two out sin the seventh inning of his last start against the Dodgers, having surrendered five runs on seven hits. Five days before that, he gave up six runs in 5-1/3 innings against the Red Sox in an interleague contest. The Astros have lost six of his last eight starting assignments.

Backe's history against the Pirates is not bad. This year he gave up four runs in six innings in a 4-3 loss on June 5,. but prior to that what he did was very commendable, in fact giving up five earned runs and only ELEVEN hits in 26 innings over four starts.

Ian Snell's last outing against the Houston Astros was on September 14, and he was strong in yielding only a single run in six innings. Snell's problems of late have involved a combination of bad pitching and bad luck. In each of his last two starts, he has lasted only four innings, and given up a total of 11 runs. Prior to that he went eleven innings while giving up just two earned runs, but altogether he's shown no consistency, giving up four runs or more in nine of his 16 starts. The Pirates are 1-6 in his last seven outings.

There is really no reason for us to be so dependent upon Snell to deliver as a favorite, even though we recognize Pittsburgh's record in that role. Backe has demonstrated some level of success against the Pirates, at least in the recent past, which may rate a small recommendation on the right-hander at the +105 price in the BetUS Major League Baseball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: HOUSTON (+105)

Go to the BetUS sportsbook today and take a swing at Major League Baseball online betting.