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2020 MLB Houston Astros World Series Odds & Picks

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
5 minute read

Houston is Ready to Put the
Offseason in the Rearview Mirror

To say this has been a tumultuous offseason for the Houston Astros is an understatement. All of the Astros’ success the last three seasons has been called into question as a result of the most expansive cheating scandal in modern baseball history.

Houston was forced to clean house once this came to light as GM Jeff Lunhow and manager A.J. Hinch were fired, two other managers were replaced, and the club was fined $5 million and stripped of its first and second round picks in the next two drafts. Despite all this, the Astros are expected to be one of the best teams in baseball once more in 2020.

2020 Houston Astros World Series
Betting Online Odds at FanDuel: +750

Odds provided by FanDuel (IN, NJ, PA & WV only)
Subject to Change - T&C's Apply, 21+

2020 Houston Astros
Season World Series Odds Overview

Houston is seen as the stalking horse in the World Series betting odds. The Dodgers and Yankees are the co-favorites at FanDuel to erase title droughts in 2020, and both franchises have odds of +380 to win the World Series. The Astros are the third favorite at +750, while the next closest team is the Atlanta Braves with 14-1 odds to win the World Series.

American League West

The Astros have won at least 100 games in three straight seasons, easily winning the AL West in each of those three campaigns. No division rival finished within single-digit games of Houston in 2017 and 2019, but the fallout of this scandal has led to a drop in the Astros’ AL West odds. Houston is -190 to win the division at FanDuel, but the Athletics and the Angels are seen as real contenders to challenge the Astros this season.

On the Hill

Gerrit Cole signed a massive contract with the Yankees this offseason, giving the Astros’ main rival in the AL the best pitcher in baseball. However, Houston still has two of the best arms in the majors in veterans Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke.

Verlander is the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, and he is putting the final touches on a Hall of Fame career. He posted his best numbers in an Astros uniform last season, going 21-6 with a 2.58 ERA, and he did it while also leading the AL in innings pitched (223.0 IP) and WHIP (0.803 WHIP). Verlander led the league in K/BB ratio for the second straight season (7.14 K/BB), and he posted a career-high 300 strikeouts. At the age of 37, he will start to decline soon, but the Astros are hoping for two more strong years from their ace.

Greinke turned 36 during last season’s playoff run, and the long-suffering veteran is hoping to win a World Series before he retires. He has come close with both the Dodgers and the Astros, but the former Cy Young winner has yet to have his moment in the sun. Greinke came over from Arizona at the trade deadline in 2019, and he posted an 8-1 record with a 3.02 ERA and a 1.069 WHIP in 10 starts. He was solid over four starts in the ALCS and the World Series, so Houston is hoping for more of that production in 2020.

The backend of the rotation is a bit of an unknown. Brad Peacock is a decent but not spectacular pitcher, and young Jose Urquidy only started seven games last season. Lance McCullers, Jr. missed all last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but at least the bullpen looks to be spectacular again in 2020 with Roberto Osuna shutting the door.

At the Plate

This season will be a referendum on Houston’s best hitters. A significant downturn in production will lead to many asserting that their success was only due to the sign stealing, so everyone is under pressure to post solid numbers.

Alex Bregman had an outstanding 2019 campaign. Bregman finished runner-up to Mike Trout in the AL MVP race, and he was the most feared hitter on the Astros. He hit 41 home runs and posted a 1.015 OPS in 156 games, and he walked (119) more times than he struck out (83). Bregman destroyed left-handed pitching, hitting .350 against southpaws, and he is entering the prime of his career at the age of 26.

The player most likely to not suffer a downturn in production is Jose Altuve. Altuve’s batting average has dropped for each of the last two seasons, but he hit a career-high 31 home runs last season, and he is still a feared hitter. Houston’s former leadoff hitter has led the AL in batting average for three of the last six seasons, and he hit over .310 from 2014 to 2018.

Injuries are a concern for 30-year-old George Springer, but he has shined when healthy. Springer has missed at least 20 games in each of the last three seasons, yet he still hit a career-high 39 home runs in 2019 and posted a .974 OPS.

2020 Houston Astros World Series Projection

This is one of the best teams in the American League, but there is a lot to unpack with this franchise. It’s fair to expect certain hitters to regress, and an offseason of criticism could wear on these players. They are dangerous if they put it all behind them, but that’s a big conditional.

2020 Houston Astros World Series Free Pick:
Pass at this price

Odds provided by FanDuel (IN, NJ, PA & WV only)
Subject to Change - T&C's Apply, 21+

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