Our MLB expert previews New York Yankees at Houston Astros, outlines the odds, and provides his prediction and betting picks.
Rob’s MLB Record: 8-2 (80%)
The Yankees and Astros meet Thursday in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series, with the winner advancing to the 2022 World Series against the National League champion next week.
The Astros will host Thursday’s game as AL West champions and No. 1 seed, while the Yankees are the AL East champions and No. 2 seed.
Here’s a look at Thursday’s game (Odds at BetMGM):
| Date & Time | Thursday, October 20, 7:35 P.M. Eastern |
| Moneyline | New York Yankees (+145) at Houston Astros (-175) |
| Runline | Yankees +1.5 (-150)/Astros -1.5 (+125) |
| Total | Over 7 (-105)/Under 7 (-115) |
| Where | Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX |
| Weather | Indoor stadium |
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Starting Pitchers: Luis Severino (7-3, 3.18 ERA) vs. Framber Valdez (17-6, 2.82 ERA)
The Astros took Game 1 of the series 4-2 on Wednesday night.
New York Yankees Preview
Luis Severino missed two months after the All-Star break, a possible blessing in disguise as he’s looked fresh since his return, pitching into the sixth inning in three starts and starting Game 3 of the Yankees’ divisional series with Cleveland (New York would lose 6-5, but held the lead when the righthander left the game.)
Severino is 0-2 vs. Houston this season with a 3.75 ERA over 12 innings.
Harrison Bader continued his torrid postseason with his fourth home run, coming off Justin Verlander in game one. Anthony Rizzo also went deep late in the contest, and the Yankees figure to need more big hits from the middle of the lineup if they want to rally in this series.
Houston Astros Preview
Framber Valdez emerged into one of the American League’s premier pitchers in 2022, averaging almost a strikeout per inning and limiting opposing hitters to a .223 batting average. Valdez allowed two runs to the Mariners in Game 2 of the divisional series last week.
Valdez allowed three runs over six innings in his only appearance against the Yankees this season.
The Astros took a heavy hitting approach to game one, smashing three solo home runs in the middle innings to make the difference. Their top hitters – José Altuve, Jordan Alvarez, and Alex Bregman – were kept in check, a feat unlikely to be maintained throughout the seven-game series.
New York Yankees vs Houston Astros Prediction
Verlander was his masterful self in game one, but the Astros bullpen was taxed a bit with Rafael Montero throwing almost 30 pitches and Ryan Pressley needing to record the final four outs. Meanwhile, Jameson Taillon didn’t make it through the fifth inning, so New York also turned to its relievers early.
With some tired arms coming from the pen, and the relative success both teams enjoyed against Thursday’s starting pitchers during the season, we look to the total when predicting this outcome between two of the American League’s best offenses.
New York Yankees vs Houston Astros Pick: October 20, 2022
Pick: New York Yankees/Houston Astros over 7 (-105)
