Last season wasn’t a fun one for the Houston Astros. They were dogged by their sign-stealing scandal all year long. Their manager and general manager were fired in January. Their 2019 Rookie of the Year winner played in just two games. Their healthy stars slumped at the plate. They lost the ace of their staff to Tommy John surgery. Through all of that, Houston still came within one game of making the World Series. But they have been provided a conservative win total projection for 2021. Let’s take a look at the best betting option for the Astros’ win total line on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Houston Astros Over 87.5 wins (-106)
Yes, George Springer is no longer here. And yes, Justin Verlander will probably miss the entirety of this season as he mounts a comeback from TJ. But I am willing to give many Astros a pass from their poor 2020 stat lines. Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman all slipped offensively last year, but there’s no reason that trio can’t rebound this summer. Yordan Alvarez seems to be healthy. Michael Brantley is back. Kyle Tucker is going to have a breakout year, and the rotation sans Verlander is buttressed by three young, high-quality arms in Framber Valdez, Jose Urqidy and Cristian Javier. Prior to 2020, Houston exceeded 100 victories in three consecutive seasons. This edition probably isn’t as good as those squads, and the American League West is a stronger division overall now. But the Astros still have enough talent to win it, and they should pick up plenty of Ws against the rebuilding Mariners and Rangers.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA/MI), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (NH/CO), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-888-532-3500 (VA) or call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN).21+ (18+ NH). CO/IL/IN/IA/NH/NJ/PA/TN/VA/WV/MI only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.