Astros vs. Braves (August 20): Will NL ROY hopeful Strider rack up the whiffs vs. Houston?

Last night, the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves met for the first time since concluding their battle in last year’s World Series.

And just like they did in Game 6 in Houston last November 2, the Braves came out on top last night, with Austin Riley’s three-run homer the key hit in their 6-2 win.

.@austinriley1308 sends it outta here!#ForTheA pic.twitter.com/3P8slQrT48

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 20, 2022

Tonight, Atlanta will look to wrap up the series win at Truist Park with flamethrowing rookie Spencer Strider on the mound opposite Cristian Javier for Houston.

Houston Astros vs. Atlanta Braves Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Houston Astros (77-44, 38-26 away, 1st in the AL West) vs. Atlanta Braves (74-47, 41-23 home, 2nd in the NL East)
• Venue & Location: Truist Park (Atlanta, Georgia)
• Date: Saturday, August 20, 2022
• Game Time: 7:15 p.m. Eastern Time
• Astros vs. Braves TV Info: FOX

Astros vs. Braves Pitching Matchup

• Houston Astros: Cristian Javier (2022: 22 appearances – 18 starts, 7-8, 2.96 ERA)
• Atlanta Braves: Spencer Strider (2022: 25 appearances – 14 starts, 7-4, 3.04 ERA)

Astros vs. Braves Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline. This article may also feature odds from some of our other recommended sports betting sites.

Moneyline

• Houston Astros +140
• Atlanta Braves -166

Over/Under

• Over 7.5 (-105)
• Under 7.5 (-115)

Run Line

• Houston Astros +1.5 (-146)
• Atlanta Braves -1.5 (+122)

Will We See a Big K Day for Strider?

Both the Astros and Braves have had some changes in personnel from their 2021 teams.

Most notably for the Astros, Carlos Correa departed Houston for Minnesota in the offseason, while Justin Verlander is back in action after missing almost all of the past two seasons.

In Atlanta, Matt Olson is now manning first base for the Braves with Freddie Freeman, who caught the last out of the 2021 World Series, now with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Both teams also have talented rookies in key roles. Shortstop Jeremy Pena is hitting .249 with 15 homers and 41 RBI in 97 games for Houston, and Atlanta has the top two favorites for NL Rookie of the Year in outfielder Michael Harris II and Strider.

Harris (-125), who is hitting .317 with six doubles, three homers, 10 RBI, 15 runs scored, and four steals (in four attempts) in August, currently has the edge over Strider (-105), as per the odds at BetOnline.

Strider could add another line to his resume tonight with a strong outing against the Astros. On Monday, he got the win against the Mets in the Braves’ 13-1 win, as he allowed just one run and three hits in five innings.

However, he recorded only four strikeouts, which ties for his lowest K total since becoming a starter. Strider has tallied seven or more strikeouts eight times in his 14 starts this season, and he is averaging 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

Will he post better numbers tonight? Houston is one of just three teams yet to strike out 900 times this season–the Cleveland Guardians and Washington Nationals are the others–but they struck out a dozen times in last night’s loss.

Houston Astros vs. Atlanta Braves Prediction & Picks

Astros vs. Braves Prediction: Braves to win

Astros vs. Braves Picks: Spencer Strider over 6.5 strikeouts (Best Value: -135 at Bovada Sportsbook)

The Astros have yet to face Strider, and that lack of familiarity could work well in his favor. He has yet to have three consecutive starts in which he failed to record at least seven Ks, and I like that to continue to be the case.

There’s even more value if you want to back Strider to do more than just hit his over. Backing him to hit or exceed eight strikeouts for a seventh time tonight comes in at +136 at BetOnline.

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