On Saturday, the Houston Astros (57-52) are hosting the Tampa Bay Rays (55-54), at 7:15 PM ET, in the second Game of a three-Game series.

The Astros are a home favorite (-159) against the Rays (+134). The matchup on the mound for this contest is set with the Houston Astros looking to Ronel Blanco (9-5), and Zack Littell (4-7) taking the ball for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Yesterday, the Astros picked up a 3-2 victory over the Rays, with Bryan Abreu (1.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 K) registering the win for the Astros. Yainer Diaz finished 2-for-3 with a double to lead the offense. Kevin Kelly (1.1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 K) was credited with the loss for the Rays.

Before watching this Astros vs. Rays matchup, here’s everything you need to know about Saturday’s action on the diamond, including viewing options.

Houston Astros vs. Tampa Bay Rays odds and betting lines

MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Saturday at 3:16 PM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.

  • Favorite: Astros (-159, bet $159 to win $100)
  • Underdog: Rays (+134, bet $100 to win $134)
  • Over/under: 7.5

Astros vs. Rays: Live streaming info & game time

  • Game Day: Saturday, August 3, 2024
  • Game Time: 7:15 PM ET
  • Stadium: Minute Maid Park
  • TV Channel: MLB.tv
  • Live Stream: Fubo (Watch for free)

Astros stats and trends

Astros betting records

  • The Astros have won 43, or 54.4%, of the 79 games they’ve played as favorites this season.
  • Houston has entered 32 games this season favored by -159 or more and is 24-8 in those contests.
  • The moneyline for this contest implies a 61.4% chance of a victory for the Astros.
  • Games involving Houston have gone over the total set by sportsbooks in 44 of 109 chances this season.
  • The Astros are 52-56-0 against the spread this season.

Ronel Blanco (Astros probable starter)

  • Blanco (9-5 with a 2.95 ERA and 114 strikeouts in 119 2/3 innings pitched) tries for his 10th win when he makes the start for the Astros, his 21st of the season.
  • In his most recent appearance on Saturday, the righty threw 4 1/3 innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers, giving up four earned runs while surrendering three hits.
  • The 30-year-old has a 2.95 ERA and 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings across 20 games this season, while allowing a batting average of .175 to opposing hitters.
  • Blanco is trying to secure his 12th quality start of the year in this outing.
  • Blanco will try to record his 18th matchup of five or more innings pitched this season. He averages 6.0 innings per appearance.
  • He has had four appearances this season in which he kept his opponents to zero earned runs.
  • The opposing Rays offense has the 25th-ranked slugging percentage (.374) and is 26th in MLB play with 103 home runs. It has a collective .234 batting average, and is 27th in MLB with 847 total hits and 28th in MLB play scoring 434 runs.
  • The 30-year-old ranks ninth in ERA (2.95), seventh in WHIP (1.000), and 27th in K/9 (8.6) among qualifying pitchers in MLB action this season.

Astros batting stats

  • The Astros’ 123 home runs rank 13th in Major League Baseball.
  • Hitters for Houston have a combined .416 slugging percentage this season, which ranks ninth in MLB.
  • The Astros’ .261 batting average is among the best in baseball, ranking second in MLB.
  • Houston has scored the 13th-most runs in the majors this season with 505 (4.6 per game).
  • The Astros have an OBP of .320 this season, which ranks 10th in MLB.
  • Houston ranks third in MLB in strikeouts per game with an average of 7.1 whiffs per contest.

Rays stats and trends

Rays betting records

  • The Rays have come away with 23 wins in the 48 contests they have been listed as the underdogs in this season.
  • This season, Tampa Bay has come away with a win four times in 10 chances when named as an underdog of at least +134 or longer on the moneyline.
  • Bookmakers have implied with the moneyline set for this matchup that the Rays have a 42.7% chance of pulling out a win.
  • Tampa Bay and its opponents have gone over in 53 of its 109 games with a total set by sportsbooks this season.
  • The Rays have an against the spread mark of 58-50-0 in 108 games with a line this season.

Zack Littell (Rays probable starter)

  • The Rays will send Littell (4-7) to the mound for his 22nd start of the season. He is 4-7 with a 4.18 ERA and 105 strikeouts through 114 2/3 innings pitched.
  • In his last outing on Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds, the righty tossed seven scoreless innings while surrendering three hits.
  • The 28-year-old has an ERA of 4.18, with 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings in 21 games this season. Opponents are batting .286 against him.
  • Littell has eight quality starts under his belt this year.
  • Littell will try to extend a four-game streak of pitching five or more innings (he’s averaging 5.4 frames per appearance).
  • In three of his appearances this season he did not allow an earned run.
  • He will take the hill against an Astros squad that is batting .261 as a unit (second in the MLB). They are also slugging a collective .416 (ninth in the league) with 123 total home runs (13th in MLB action).
  • Among qualifying pitchers in MLB action this season, the 28-year-old’s 4.18 ERA ranks 54th, 1.351 WHIP ranks 58th, and 8.3 K/9 ranks 37th.

Rays batting stats

  • The Rays are fifth-worst in MLB play with 103 home runs.
  • This season, Tampa Bay ranks 25th in baseball with a .374 slugging percentage.
  • The Rays rank 23rd in MLB with a .234 batting average.
  • Tampa Bay scores the third-fewest runs in baseball (434 total, 4.0 per game).
  • The Rays’ .312 on-base percentage is 15th in the majors.
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