Two of baseball’s best teams continue an intriguing interleague series as the San Diego Padres visit the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.
Game 2 will feature a decent pitching matchup as the Padres hand the ball to Yu Darvish while the Astros counter with Jake Odorizzi. San Diego will be a moderate favorite but is the value with Houston as a home underdog?
Check out our MLB free picks and predictions for Padres vs. Astros on Saturday, May 29, with first pitch scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET.
Padres vs Astros game info
• Location: Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX
• Date: Saturday, May 29, 2021
• Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
• TV: Bally Sports San Diego, ATT SportsNet SW, MLB Network
Padres vs Astros odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
Compare MLB odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
MLB Sharp Money and Line Movement Report
By Patrick EversonThe Astros opened this interleague matchup as +120 home underdogs while the total hit the board at an even 8.0. Check back later for a full report from Patrick!
Check out the full line movement for this gamePadres vs Astros betting preview
Starting pitchers
Yu Darvish (5-1, 1.75 ERA): Since a so-so Opening Day, Darvish has been dominant and arguably the Padres’ best player so far this season. The right-hander has 1.26 ERA with a 0.81 WHIP over his last nine starts. San Diego has won nine of the 10 games he has started this season.
Jake Odorizzi (0-2, 10.13 ERA): Odorizzi is set to come off the IL and make his first start since April 24. The right-hander was struggling before the injury, pitching to a 10.13 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP in his first three starts, but the Astros are hoping Odorizzi can bring some stability to an Astros rotation that has been hit hard with injuries.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Padres: Eric Hosmer 1B (Questionable), Javy Guerra RP (Questionable), Austin Nola C (Out), Dan Altavilla RP (Out), Drew Pomeranz RP (Out), Trent Grisham OF (Out).
Astros: Yordan Alvarez DH (Questionable), Ryan Pressly RP (Questionabel), Kent Emanuel RP (Out), Michael Brantley LF (Out), Josh James RP (Out), Pedro Baez RP (Out), Austin Pruitt RP (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 10-1 in the Astros' last 11 games as a home underdog. Find more MLB betting trends for Padres vs. Astros.
Moneyline pick
This is a matchup of two teams with postseason aspirations. The Padres sit in first place in the National League West, winning 14 of their last 17 games heading into this series in Houston.
While they have dropped four of five prior to this weekend set, they are just a game and a half behind the A’s for first place in the American League West and own arguably the Big League’s best offense.
But that offense will be in tough against Darvish. The right-hander is one of the early favorites for the NL Cy Young award thanks to the run he is on, allowing just one earned run on 13 hits over his last three starts.
Meanwhile, it’s hard to know what you’re going to get with Odorizzi. The right-hander struggled before his injury and now has to deal with a dangerous Padres’ lineup that was scoring 6.41 runs per game in that 17-game stretch before this series started.
To make matters worse, it’s hard to know how long Odorizzi will go before having to hand the ball to a shaky bullpen whose best two relievers are both dealing with injuries. The Padres are the team to back in this one.
PREDICTION: Padres (-145)
Over/Under pick
When it comes to the total, a number of 8.0 might seem a little low when you consider the two offenses that are playing in this game. But the old adage goes, great pitching beats great hitting, and the key matchup here is Darvish shutting down the Astros lineup.
The Padres right-hander has allowed just one earned run eight times in his last nine starts. The time Darvish allowed more than one, it was just two. And when Darvish hands the ball off, it will be to the bullpen that leads the MLB in ERA.
So, if this one is going Over, the Padres will have to most of the heavy lifting. While Odorizzi has struggled, it wasn’t that long ago he was an All-Star with the Twins, owning a career 3.97 ERA with a 1.24 WHIP. With the Padres dealing with some injuries and ranking an OK 11th in batting average against right-handers this season, we like this one to sneak Under the number.
PREDICTION: Under 8 (-110)
Padres vs Astros betting card
- Padres (-145)
- Under 8 (-110)
Picks made on 5/28/2021 at 10:45 p.m. ET
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