The Houston Astros are just 1-7 in their last eight games against the Cleveland Indians including a current stretch of five straight losses. The Astros can snap that losing streak with a win at home in the first of three games against the Indians this Friday night.
Indians vs. Astros 2018 odds: Favored Houston looking to buck betting trends on Friday
The Houston Astros will try to end their woes against the Cleveland Indians this Friday night, with the sportsbooks making them the betting favorite in the series opener.
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Houston is a -170 betting favorite in Friday’s series opener at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. Charlie Morton will take the mound for the home team facing Mike Clevinger and the Indians as +160 road underdogs.
Cleveland Indians at Houston Astros
When: Friday, May 18, 8:10 p.m. ET
Where: Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas
Betting Line / Total: Houston -170 / 8 Runs
Houston Astros
Since starting the month of May off with a disappointing 1-5 record, the Astros have won each of their last three series and are 7-2 over their last nine games. There is just no weakness in this Houston pitching staff that continues to dazzle on a nightly basis.
Houston’s team ERA sits at 2.44, almost a full run lower than second-place Arizona at 3.31. The three starting pitchers with the lowest ERAs in the American League all pitch for the Astros in Justin Verlander (1.05), Gerrit Cole (1.75) and Charlie Morton (2.03).
Morton has been the biggest surprise on the staff, enjoying a breakout season with 62 strikeouts in 48.2 innings, a 0.97 WHIP and a 5-0 record. But despite his own personal undefeated record, the Astros are just 3-3 in his last six starts per the OddsShark MLB Database.
Cleveland Indians
For whatever reason, the Indians haven’t been able to put it all together through the first quarter of the season, posting a pedestrian record of 21-21 through their first 42 games.
Fortunately for Cleveland, that .500 record is good enough for the top spot in the AL Central. After leading the MLB in team ERA last year and finishing in the Top 8 each of the last three, the Indians currently sit in 14th with an ERA of 4.06. They will try to improve on an 8-12 road record this weekend.
Friday’s total is set at eight runs. The UNDER is 7-0-1 in Houston’s last eight games.
Cleveland is just 4-7 over its last 11 games, and breaking that slump in Houston won’t be easy to do. The weekend’s pitching matchups are projected as Corey Kluber vs. Dallas Keuchel on Saturday and Carlos Carrasco vs. Lance McCullers Jr. on Sunday.
For more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week’s top sports betting news check out the OddsShark podcast with Jon Campbell and Andrew Avery. Subscribe on iTunes or listen to it at OddsShark.libsyn.com.
