Astros odds – Thin staff, over-the-hill lineup will produce mediocre results
Don’t expect much from Houston Astros odds this season. While they won’t be the worst team in all of baseball, they are certainly far from the best. The pitching staff leaves much to be desired and, truth be told, the batting lineup isn’t much better. Because of that, fans looking to bet the Astros' sports betting lines can expect a great deal of mediocrity out of this club in 2009.
Houston Astros odds: +7500 to win the World Series
- Starting pitching staff can’t get it done
- Lineup features mix of too old, too young
- Enough talent to run with the Reds, Pirates
The problem for Astros betting fans is that starting pitching. Roy Oswalt can get the job done but, after that, it gets a little rough with Wandy Rodriguez, Russ Ortiz and Mike Hampton. Rodriguez is inconsistent, though he looks like an ace standing next to reconstructed pitching patients Russ Ortiz and Mike Hampton.
When you consider some of the other rotations in the National League Central division, such as the St. Louis Cardinals trio of Chris Carpenter, Kyle Lohse and Adam Wainwright, or the Cubs’ Rich Harden, Carlos Zambrano and Ted Lilly, the Astros simply don’t measure up on MLB odds.
While Astros betting fans are down about the starting staff, the batting order doesn’t exactly pick up their spirits. Carlos Lee is back and healthy after a season-ending finger fracture last year, but the bats around him is questionable.
The Astros are built on past-their-prime veterans, such as Miguel Tejada, Lance Berkman, Kaz Matsui and Ivan Rodriguez, plus a mix of before-their-prime youngsters, such as Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn. There just isn’t a whole lot of upside here if you’re going to bet on the Astros.
Sportsbook odds makers aren’t very bullish on the Astros bullpen either, which is anchored by Jose Valverde and not much else.
Astros betting fans know that there just aren’t enough sexy parts on this team to compete with the Cubs and Cardinals this season. With a decent hitting lineup and Oswalt, the Astros are still better than the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates in the Central.
Still, there isn’t enough pop in the lineup to support a lackluster pitching staff and, worse yet, there aren’t many young, quality prospects in the pipeline that are ready to produce at a high caliber. If you’re going to bet Astros odds, beware: Houston will be stuck in mediocrity for another season.
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Before his arm flamed out, Dale “Skip” Lalonde was famous for his high-90s heat and power at the plate. He retired young but never turned his back on baseball, earning the nickname “Skip” for his high-school coaching prowess. A true student of the game, he loves crunching the numbers when he handicaps baseball. Email Comments@BetOnline.com.
