Betting on the Houston Astros
A combination of explosive young talent and one of baseball’s most infamous scandals keeps the public eye on the Houston Astros. Whether it’s to bet for or against them, fans and bettors keep coming back to the Astros.
Houston Astros Franchise History
Houston, then named the Colt .45s, joined Major League Baseball in 1962 as a part of the National League. For nearly two decades, the team failed to qualify for the playoffs or eclipse 90 wins in a season.
Two NLCS appearances headlined the 1980s for Houston, but still the team failed to make any real noise in the playoffs or establish itself as a consistent World Series contender. Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, and Lance Berkman’s big bats powered the Astros to several playoff appearances in the late ‘90s and early 2000s.
Despite that, the Astros continued to come up short of a National League championship until 2005. That season, Houston’s elite rotation, driven by Roy Oswalt, Andy Pettitte, and Roger Clemens, fueled the franchise’s first pennant victory.
Ultimately, the ’05 Astros were swept in the Series by the Chicago White Sox.
In 2017, Houston finally broke through and won its first World Series title, defeating the LA Dodgers in seven games. That historic team was led by Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and World Series MVP George Springer.
Altuve attracted plenty of attention a few years later when cheating allegations arose against the ‘Stros. Houston was accused of stealing signs, particularly against the New York Yankees during the 2019 ALCS. Although witnesses admitted that the Astros used technology to relay pitches to batters, no players were punished by the MLB.
The players were, however, punished through fan harassment and hit-by-pitches in the following season. Many baseball fans actively root against the franchise because of the scandal, especially considering the Astros’ continued success.
Betting on the Astros in Texas
Sports betting is currently illegal in Texas, and it likely will be for a while.
Despite the support of some of the state’s most recognizable sports figures – Mark Cuban, Tilman Fertitta, Jerry Jones to name a few – the state legislature has not felt moved enough by any proposals.
The next Texas legislative session isn’t until 2023, so sports betting would realistically launch at the end of the year, or more likely, in 2024. And that’s only if proponents of sports betting legalization can do enough before the next session to persuade lawmakers.
The outlook has remained bleak for the Lone Star State throughout the legal sports betting surge in the US. Ironically, if the state did launch a full scale legal sports betting operation, it would almost certainly rank as one of the most lucrative markets in the country.
Updated on: 08/19/2022
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For those looking to bet on the Astros, patience is a virtue. If sports betting does come to the Lone Star State, here’s an example of what you’ll see:
- Houston Astros +150
- New York Yankees -170
Here, The Astros are underdogs on the moneyline against the New York Yankees. Placing a $100 moneyline wager on the Astros would net a bettor $150 if the Astros prevailed.
On the flip side, Yankees bettors would need to wager $170 to profit $100.
Houston Astros Partnership with BetMGM
In May of 2022, the Astros and BetMGM announced a partnership that would include signage, displays and fan activations throughout Minute Maid Park.
