Astros vs Pirates Prediction - MLB Picks 4/11/23

Pittsburgh Pirates (6-3) vs Houston Astros (4-6)

Game Info: Tuesday, April 11, 2023 at 6:35 pm (PNC Park)

Mitch Keller (1-0) (3.86) vs Cristian Javier (1-0) (3.27)

Betting Odds: Pittsburgh Pirates +140 / Houston Astros -185 --- Over/Under: 8.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

The Houston Astros and the Pittsburgh Pirates will play game two of their three-game set this Tuesday from PNC Park. Houston cruised to a six-run victory on Monday, 8-2.

Astros Betting Preview

Houston enters at 5-6 after defeating Pittsburgh. The Astros scored in the first four innings, and they’ll look to replicate that effort Tuesday. The Houston offense is scoring 5.08 runs per game, while batting .250, with a .336 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 3.77 ERA, with a 1.34 WHIP. Yordan Alvarez leads the team in batting average (.333) and RBI (14) after a big game versus the Pirates. Kyle Tucker matched his energy by producing three runs, marking his fourth multi-RBI game.

Cristian Javier (1-0, 3.27 ERA, 11 Ks) will take the mound for Houston. The fourth-year pitcher has picked up right where he left off, holding Detroit to one run in six innings of work.

Pirates Betting Preview

Pittsburgh is 6-4 after following the loss to Houston. The Pirates were overmatched in game one, and they’ll look to keep pace with the Astros this time around. The Pittsburgh offense is scoring 4.41 runs per game, while batting .232, with a .311 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 4.91 ERA, with a 1.41 WHIP. Bryan Reynolds (5 HR, 14 RBI) has recorded a hit in nine of the last ten games, and he’s among league leaders in batting average (.405).

Mitch Keller (1-0, 3.86 ERA, 15 Ks) will pitch for Pittsburgh. The fifth-year pitcher put together one of best outings of his career at Fenway versus Boston, striking out seven in seven innings pitched, while allowing just one run. It will be very interesting to see how Keller follows that outing up against the defending champions.

Houston vs Pittsburgh Trends

Houston is 3-5 against the spread this season, with a 4-3-1 over/under record. Pittsburgh is 2-6 ATS this year, with a 4-4 O/U record.

Corey's Free Pick

Houston came out sharp in game one, and there’s a good chance they likely do the same here. The Astros were able to overwhelm the Pirates offensively yesterday, and I like them having their way with Mitch Keller. What Keller was able to do versus Boston was impressive, but Houston represents a different animal, and should be able to deliver winning production. The Astros need to get back above .500, and should capitalize again Tuesday with a win over the Pirates.