Consistently winning when you wager on sports is tough, usually because there are so many different variables that can come into play in every single game. It can be argued that baseball is the toughest of the lot, as it is very tough for a team to beat the same team on 3 or 4 consecutive nights. Even when you have one of the best teams in the business going against one of the worst, there is no guarantee that a sweep will be the result of that meeting.

We have a scenario of the best going against the worst on Wednesday night, with the Detroit Tigers in Houston to face an Astros team that is among the favorites to win it all this year. The gulf between these two teams is ridiculously big, with the Astros a mile ahead of the Tigers in the standings. While we said that sweeping the poorer teams in the league is tough, the Astros have a shot at doing just that in their season series with Detroit. The Houston Astros are favored by 1 ½, with the run total for the Wednesday game set at 8 ½.

Tigers vs Astros MLB Week 21 Lines & Pick for Wednesday Night

• When: Wednesday August 21 at 8:10 PM EST
• Where: Minute Maid Park, Houston
• Starting Pitchers: Norris vs. Verlander
• TV: MLB Extra Innings
• Radio: 610 Sports
• Live Stream: MLB.tv
• MLB Odds: Houston Astros -550 (Total 8.5)

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Weather Forecast

• Partly Cloudy: 32°C/90°F
• Humidity: 56%
• Precipitation: 0%
• Cloud Cover: 37%
• Wind: 9 mph SSE
• Stadium Type: Retractable

Why bet on the Detroit Tigers?

There are still a few weeks to play in the MLB regular season, but it is already beginning to look as though the Tigers are going to finish the year with the worst record in baseball. The Tigers have managed just 37 wins on the season, with their overall record currently sitting at 37-86. They come into the Wednesday game versus the Astros having lost 4 in a row, which includes the opening 2 games of this series.

The Tigers were certainly competitive in the opener, losing 5-4, but they were soundly beaten on Tuesday night, going down 6-3 in that one. They are now 0-5 versus the Astros this season with just 3 games to play on the regular season series. The Tigers have been a decent ATS bet as a road dog, going 34-26. They will have Daniel Norris (3-10, 4.82 ERA) on the mound.

Team Stats

• Runs: 3.61
• Hits: 8.17
• Walks: 2.58
• Strike Outs: 9.97

• Runs: 5.57
• Hits: 9.46
• Walks: 3.30
• Strike Outs: 8.34

Why bet on the Houston Astros?

The Astros found themselves in a little bit of a slump over the last couple of weeks, but a series versus the awful Tigers seems to have served as the perfect tonic. The Astros have now won 3 in a row, taking their record over the last 10 games to 4-6. Being back in their own ballpark has certainly helped their cause, as they are a truly stellar 45-15 at home this year.

That record is great, and while their records against the spread at home is not quite so impressive, they are still 32-27 ATS as a home favorite. This is a team that still has a shot at landing the top seed in the AL playoffs, so look for them to get their foot back on the gas the rest of the way. It will be Justin Verlander (15-4, 2.81 ERA) getting the ball here.

Team Stats

• Runs: 5.48
• Hits: 9.46
• Walks: 3.83
• Strike Outs: 7.14

• Runs: 4.06
• Hits: 7.52
• Walks: 2.79
• Strike Outs: 10.07

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Tigers vs Astros MLB Week 21 Betting Trends

• Tigers are 1-7 SU in their last 8 games on the road
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit’s last 6 games when playing as the underdog
• Astros are 8-0 SU in their last 8 games at home
• The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Houston’s last 13 games against an opponent in the American League Central division
• Tigers are 12-43 against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season
• Astros are 37-35 against the money line in August games over the last 3 seasons
• Norris is 0-1 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 4.91 and a WHIP of 1.364
• Verlander is 2-1 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 3.60 and a WHIP of 0.850

Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction

While the Astros have been a little iffy over the last couple of weeks, all signs seem to point to them getting back to winning ways. I think they come away with a comfortable win with Verlander on the mound.

Score: Detroit Tigers 1 – Houston Astros 6