Yankees vs Astros Prediction - MLB Picks 9/1/23

Houston Astros (77-58) vs New York Yankees (65-69)

Game Info: Friday, September 1, 2023 at 8:10 pm (Minute Maid Park)

Justin Verlander (10-6) (3.06) vs Carlos Rodon (1-4) (5.97)

Betting Odds: Houston Astros -222 / New York Yankees +184 --- Over/Under: 8.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

The Houston Astros will host the New York Yankees for game one of their three-game set this Friday from Minute Maid Park.

Yankees Preview & Projected Starter

New York moved to 65-69 after taking three of four from Detroit. The Yankees couldn’t complete the four-game sweep, but they did enjoy a good stay in the Motor City, and they’ll look to show some fight here in Houston this weekend. The New York offense is scoring 3.87 runs per game, while batting .230, with a .300 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 3.87 ERA, with a 1.25 WHIP.

Carlos Rodon (1-4, 5.97 ERA, 33 Ks) will take the hill for New York. The ninth-year lefty put up a little fight in Tampa last time out, striking out seven thru 4.2 innings, and avoiding the loss. Rodon hasn’t been able to find his stride in the Bronx after joining the staff in July, as he’s struggled through eight starts. Rodon had a terrible outing at home against Houston a month ago (2.2 IP, 5 ER), and he’ll look for much different results here.

Yankees Player Trends & Props

• Gleyber Torres homered in all three wins over Detroit, and he’s leading NYY in hits (136), while posting splits of .270/23/57.

• Aaron Judge homered in the game one win, and he’s leading the Yanks in homers (29), with 56 RBI.

• Giancarlo Stanton went yard in the game three victory, and he’s posting a line of .203/19/49.

• Anthony Volpe has totaled multiple bases in five of the last six games, and he’s up to 20 home runs and 57 runs batted in.

Astros Preview & Projected Starter

Houston enters at 73-58 after sweeping Boston. The Astros came through in a big way at Fenway with three straight multi-run wins, and they’ll look to pick up their sixth straight victory here. The Houston offense is scoring 4.76 runs per game, while batting .248, with a .317 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 3.81 ERA, with a 1.27 WHIP.

Justin Verlander (10-6, 3.06 ERA, 110 Ks) will take the hill for Houston. The reigning AL Cy Young winner pitched well in his return to Detroit last week, striking out seven through five scoreless frames to earn his tenth victory of the season. Verlander closed August with four straight victories, and it looks as if he’s picked up where he left off in Houston. Verlander has tossed eleven straight scoreless innings, and he’ll look to replicate his previous outing against the Yanks (7 IP, 2 ER) here.

Astros Player Trends & Props

• Kyle Tucker has recorded a hit in five of the previous seven games, and he leads the Astros in hits (140), with strong splits of .292/26/97.

• Alex Bregman has totaled multiple bases in five of the last six games, and he’s posting a line of .266/22/90.

• Yordan Alvarez has produced a run in four of the previous five games, and he’s totaled 23 home runs and 77 RBI for the season.

• Jose Altuve has recorded a hit in seven of the last ten games, and he’s batting .313 thru 64 games.

Corey’s Free Pick

I’m sure the league intended for this series, along with the Braves/Dodgers matchup, to keep baseball viewers interested amongst the college football rush, and while it still should draw plenty of views, it won’t have the big game feel due to the underwhelming play of the Yankees. A big chunk of that can be attested to star slugger Aaron Judge missing time, but horrible pitching around Gerrit Cole has also been an Achilles heel, and it could wind up hurting them again here in game one. A Carlos Rodon gem would be nice to see, but he’s been a shell of himself after starting the season late, and I think the Astros find production off of him in this one. Justin Verlander has been terrific since returning to HTown, and it’s more than likely he holds his own here at home. Let’s back Houston to win a sixth straight game this Friday.