Orioles vs Astros Prediction - MLB Picks 9/18/23

Houston Astros (84-66) vs Baltimore Orioles (93-56)

Game Info: Monday, September 18, 2023 at 8:10 pm (Minute Maid Park)

Justin Verlander (11-8) (3.39) vs John Means (0-1) (5.40)

Betting Odds: Houston Astros -135 / Baltimore Orioles +124 --- Over/Under: 8.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

Where to Watch: MASN Stream the MLB Game of the Day all season on ESPN+. Sign up now!

The Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros face off on Monday in an MLB showdown at Minute Maid Park.

John Means Make Second Start

John Means is making his second start of the season and he hopes to have a little more success for the Orioles in this game. He sits with a 0-1 record and an ERA of 5.40. Against the Cardinals he went five innings giving up five hits and three runs. In the last series against the Rays the Orioles were able to win two of the four games. The Orioles are averaging 5.08 runs while their pitching is giving up 4.27 runs per game. The offense is ranked 6th while the pitching staff is ranked 8th.

Orioles Betting Trends

The Orioles have won each of their last eight games against AL West opponents.
The Orioles have covered the run line in each of their last eight Monday games as road underdogs.
The Orioles have led after 7 innings in each of their last eight Monday night games as road underdogs.
The 'Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs' market has hit in each of the Orioles' last four night games against AL West opponents.
The Orioles have led after 3 innings in each of their last five Monday games as underdogs.

Astros Coming off Series Loss

The Astros have had a good season, but they are coming off a series loss over the weekend against the Kansas City Royals. In the two losses, the Astros offense only scored three runs and that led to the losses. The Astros are averaging 5.17 runs while their pitching is giving up 4.35 runs per game. The offense is ranked 5th in the league while the pitching is ranked 11th. On the mound for the Astros will be Justin Verlander who sits with an 11-8 record and an ERA of 3.39.

Astros Betting Trends

The Astros have lost each of their last four games as home favorites against AL East opponents.
The Astros have covered the run line each of their last six games against American League opponents that held a winning record.
The Astros have led after 7 innings in each of their last six games against American League opponents that held a winning record.
The 'Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs' market has hit in each of the last three games between the Orioles and Astros at Minute Maid Park.
The Astros have trailed after 3 innings in five of their last seven games as home favorites against American League opponents.

Orioles vs Astros Facts

The Houston Astros rank 4th in the league for batting average this season (.260).
The Houston Astros rank 4th in the league for on-base percentage this season (.332).
The Baltimore Orioles rank 6th in the league for RBI's this season (734).
The Baltimore Orioles rank 6th in the league for walks allowed this season (436).

Shane’s Free Pick

The Astros are coming off a series loss but they are going to get this series out on the right foot. John Means wasn’t great in his first start and he’s going to really struggle in this start. The Astros are going to have no issue running up the score here. The Orioles aren’t going to be keeping up, and that will be the difference as the Astros are going to get the job done. Back the Astros.