Cleveland Indians vs. Houston Astros Series Preview, Betting Odds

The Cleveland Indians remain out West this week, but this time they head to Houston for a three-game series against the Astros. The schedule makers weren’t too kind to the Indians as they just completed a series against the Oakland Athletics.

The Indians come into this series with a record of 47-43, and they are still in second place in the AL Central Division. Cleveland still trails the Chicago White Sox by eight games in the division, and they are going to need a big second half to catch them.

Houston leads the AL West Division with a record of 56-38 on the year. The Astros are one of the top contenders to win the World Series this season, and they are always tough to beat on their home field.

The Astros are a massive favorite in the series opener with a betting line set at -210.

Indians Have Some Momentum

The Indians do come into this series with some momentum after winning two of three games in Oakland against the Athletics. Cleveland did score just 11 total runs in that series, and the lack of offense continues to plague this team.

Jose Ramirez leads Cleveland with 19 home runs and 52 RBIs, but it was some other players that did damage over the weekend. It was some other players that did the damage against Oakland, and the Indians will need that to continue in this series.

The Indians are still without their top two starting pitchers, and trying to find a way to get outs against Houston is going to be a challenge.

Houston Can Hit

The Astros are the highest-scoring team in baseball this season, and they are even better when playing at their home park. This lineup is loaded from top to bottom, and there is plenty of power throughout.

Jose Altuve leads the Astros with 20 home runs, and he has also driven in 55 runs this season. Michael Brantley is arguably the toughest hitter in that lineup as he is hitting an impressive .326 on the year.

Zack Greinke starts for Houston in the series opener, and that will be a tough pitcher for the Indians to deal with. The offense gets most of the attention for the Astros, but this team can pitch as well.

Can’t Get Swept

MLB teams never want to go into a series trying to avoid a sweep, but that is the reality for the Indians against the Astros. Cleveland is going to be an underdog in every single game, and trying to find a way to scratch out just one win will be key.

The bullpen for the Indians is going to be a big key in this matchup as it’s not likely that the starters will be able to slow down the Astros lineup. Cleveland can also give their pitching staff some help by putting up some runs at the plate.

Cleveland continues to hang around the AL Central race, but this series could make or break the season. Taking two or three of the games could propel the Indians on a big run in the second half of the season.