Astros vs. Pirates Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, April 12, 2023

The Houston Astros (5-7) hope to avoid an upset as -167 favorites when they take on Ji-Man Choi (with homers in two straight contests) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (7-4). First pitch is at 12:35 PM ET Wednesday, live from PNC Park and airing on SportsNet PT.

Houston’s Jose Urquidy and Pittsburgh’s Rich Hill have been named the starters for this contest.

Astros vs. Pirates Odds

• Astros odds to win: -167
• Pirates odds to win: +142
• Spread: Astros -1.5
• Total: 9 runs

Astros vs. Pirates Promo Codes

Game Time and Information

• Date: Wednesday, April 12, 2023
• Time: 12:35 PM ET
• TV: SportsNet PT

Who Will Win Astros vs. Pirates?

Astros and Pirates Betting Trends

The Astros are 5-5 in games they were listed as the moneyline favorite (winning 50% of those games).

When it has played as moneyline favorites with odds of -167 or shorter, Houston has a 2-3 record (winning 40% of its games).

This season, the Pirates have won six out of the 10 games in which they’ve been the underdog.

Pittsburgh has played as an underdog of +142 or more twice this season and split those games.

The Astros have had an over/under set by bookmakers 12 times, and have combined with opponents to go over the total in nine of those games (9-3-0).

The Pirates and their opponents have gone over the total this season in six of their 11 opportunities.

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Astros Stats & Insights

The Astros have the No. 8 offense in MLB action scoring 4.9 runs per game (59 total runs).

Houston ranks 17th in baseball with 12 total home runs.

The Astros rank 14th in MLB with a .249 batting average.

Houston’s 9.3 strikeouts per game are the fifth-most in MLB.

The Astros pitching staff ranks eighth in MLB with a collective 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

Houston has a 4.08 team ERA that ranks ninth among all MLB pitching staffs.

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Pirates Stats & Insights

The Pirates have scored the 20th-most runs in the league this season with 51 (4.6 per game).

Pittsburgh has hit 15 homers this season, which ranks eighth in the majors.

The Pirates rank 20th in MLB with a .238 team batting average.

Pittsburgh has shown good bat-to-ball skills at the plate this season with the ninth-best strikeout rate (8.2 per game) among MLB offenses.

The Pirates strike out 8.4 batters per nine innings as a pitching staff, 19th in MLB.

Pittsburgh has pitched to a 4.73 ERA this season, which ranks 17th in baseball.

Astros Key Players to Watch

The Astros will look to Urquidy (0-0) in his third start this season.

Kyle Tucker leads Houston in batting average (.310) and home runs (four) this season, while also chipping in with 12 RBI.

Yordan Alvarez leads Houston in runs batted in (16) this season. He’s batting .300 while slugging .575.

Chas McCormick has collected nine base hits, an OBP of .341 and a slugging percentage of .500 this season.

Jeremy Pena has 11 hits and an OBP of .268 to go with a slugging percentage of .404 this season.

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Pirates Key Players to Watch

Hill will get the start for the Pirates, his third of the season.

Bryan Reynolds leads the Pirates with five home runs and 14 runs batted in.

Andrew McCutchen’s .357 batting average is a team-high mark.

Carlos Santana has two doubles, two home runs and five walks while batting .214.

Ji-Hwan Bae is hitting .242 with two doubles, two home runs and a walk.

Astros and Pirates Injuries

Astros: Jose Altuve: 10 Day IL (Thumb), Michael Brantley: 10 Day IL (Shoulder), Lance McCullers Jr.: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Parker Mushinski: 15 Day IL (Spine)

Pirates: Robert Stephenson: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Oneil Cruz: 60 Day IL (Ankle), Jarlin García: 60 Day IL (Arm), Max Kranick: 60 Day IL (Elbow), JT Brubaker: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Austin Hedges: 7 Day IL (Concussion)

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Astros vs. Pirates Prediction

Score Prediction: Pirates 7, Astros 6

Total Prediction: Over 9 runs

How to Bet on Astros vs. Pirates

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