Houston Astros vs New York Yankees Predictions, Betting Odds & Picks

• Both teams come into play red hot
• Interesting pitching matchup
• X-factors to watch on both teams are struggling infielders

Houston Astros vs New York Yankees Odds

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Astros vs Yankees Predictions and Top Pick

Both teams come in having won at least seven of their past 11 games and are now at .500 or above after less than stellar starts. Coming off an off day, each team should be well-rested which means everybody should be able to go out of the bullpens.

Since that’s the case, we’re going to give the Yankees the edge in this one and take the Yankees money line.

Our Pick: Take the Yankees money line at (-124). Bet on the Yankees money line with DraftKings here.

Tony Garcia’s 2021 record: (14-8-1)

How to Watch Houston Astros vs New York Yankees

Something’s Got to Give as These Red Hot Teams Meet

Through the season’s first 15 games or so, there were likely no two teams more behind where they expected to be than the Yankees and Astros.

Just more than two weeks ago, New York had suffered another loss to the Rays, getting swept out of their home ballpark as they fell to an American League worst 5-10. They’ve since flipped the script, going 9-4 since that time either winning or tying each of the four series over that time.

The Yankees have done it primarily with offense because their two big hitters, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton, have been raking. Judge is 8-for-20 the past week with three home runs and an insane 10 RBIs. He has a .445 OBP to go with that and a 1.405 OPS.

Stanton meanwhile leads the team going 13-of-26 during that same stretch, with a home run, two doubles, and a team-best .519 OBP.

On the other side, Houston struggled mightly out of the gates. Just how bad were they do you ask? They got swept by the Tigers in three straight games. Since that series, Detroit is 2-15!

Houston lost 9 of 10 at one point and fell to 7-10 on the year. They’ve responded by going 8-3 over the last nearly two weeks and all of a sudden find themselves less than two games behind the A’s for the division lead. Yordan Alvarez has been hot the past week, going 8-of-19, scoring five runs, and putting up a team-best 1.165 OPS.

Houston Has the Slight Starting Pitching Advantage

Sometimes baseball is as simple as who you put on the mound and in this one, that advantage goes to the Astros.

Zack Grienke hasn’t been great this year, but he’s been plenty good enough to win most games. The 37-year-old veteran is 2-1 overall with a 3.44 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. For the most part he’s either been really good or really bad. He comes off his second worst start of the season, going four innings and giving up four runs — he also gave up six runs on April 12th to Detroit.

In his other four appearances, he has four quality starts, totaling 28 innings, giving up just four earned runs, striking out 20, and walking just one batter.

Domingo German has been less consistent for New York. The 28-year-old from the Dominican Republic is 2-2 on the year, with a 4.05 ERA and 1.30 WHIP but he’s been much better in his last two starts than his first two.

German is 2-0 in that span, throwing 13 total innings, highlighted by seven innings of shutout baseball in his last puting — a 7-0 win over Baltimore.

Both pitchers have different reasons to be confident in this one, but still have to give the end to the veteran.

X-Factors to Watch

For Houston, there’s plenty of guys to watch who are doing well, but I’m more focused on somebody who used to be one of the toughest outs in baseball, and now after a torrid start to the season has come crashing back to earth.

Jose Altuve is batting .260 with a .661 OPS. He is just 1-of-20 in the last five games and has seen his average drop nearly 90 points in that time. If Houston is going to beat the best teams and compete in the American League, Altuve has to perform in games like this.

And on the other side, I look at another All-Star second baseman who by his own standards is having an incredibly mediocre season. DJ LeMahieu is batting .269 with a .702 OPS. The real concern is his power or lack thereof. Of his 26 hits, 20 are singles. He has just five doubles and one home run in the first month of the season — that’s concerning for someone who just got paid $90 million in his age 32 season.