Miami Marlins vs Houston Astros Prediction & Betting Tips - MLB

Prediction published on 14/08/2023, 04:37  by Joseph King | Modified on 14/08/2023 at 10:40 in MLB Prediction

The NL East third-place Miami Marlins host the AL West second-place Houston Astros for the first game on the Monday MLB slate. The Marlins will be looking to extend their current winning streak to three games with the first of a three game series against the defending champions. Miami’s last outing was a wild 8-7 win against the New York Yankees which saw the Marlins erase a four-run deficit heading into the bottom of the ninth inning. The comeback victory is sure to give the hosts confidence as they attempt to fend off the Cubs, the Reds and the Diamondbacks for the final NL Wild Card spot. Miami currently holds a half game lead over Chicago and Cincinnati with roughly a quarter of the season remaining. They’ll send out Braxton Garrett to the mound who is 6-3 on the season with a 4.08 ERA. The lefty is coming off a solid six inning, two earned run performance in his last start which resulted in a 3-2 Marlins win.

Houston find themselves in a dogfight with the Texas Rangers for the AL West crown and a spot in the divisional round of the postseason. Their 68 win 51 loss record has them trailing Texas by 2.5 games in the standings and also sees Houston sitting fairly comfortable in the second Wild Card spot. The bats failed to get going in the Astros’ last outing as they limped to a 2-1 loss on home soil to the Angels. The loss snapped a two game winning streak for Houston who have now won five of their last seven overall. The visitors will start with Framber Valdez in this one with the lefty holding a 9-7 record on the year and a 3.30 ERA. It’s been a bizarre two months for Valdez who has had one good start in his last five outings, which just so happened to be a no-hitter.