Houston Astros: last minute betting odds for the regular season

With Opening Day being only a day away, it is a perfect time to check in on some last minute bets that you could place on the Houston Astros. While the team slipped into the postseason under .500, this won’t be a reoccurring thing in 162 games. OddsChecker presented a few bets for the 2021 season, and while this could be the close to a five year dynasty, the Astros can easily hit on some of the bets.

As sports betting can sometimes be a shot in the dark, Houston could easily exceed these thresholds, if they play to their potential. We have looked at the wins total before, but we will dig into a few bets that could be in your favor or ones that might be close.

With Opening Day nearing, here are a few Astros’ bets to look at.

As seen in the past couple seasons, the Astros are projected to win the American League West, but as the powerhouse franchise is starting to fall in the rankings, the core can still pull something off. While injuries, trades and slumps can affect a player’s overall performances, there are a few bets that Houston players could easily hit on. OddsChecker spokesman Kyle Newman drew up a few numbers on the Astros’ odds as a whole and for individual performances.

“Despite a weird 2020 season that saw the Astros make the playoffs despite an under .500 record, Oddsmakers love the Astros. They’re the favorite to win the AL West, and one of the favorites to win the American League,” Newman said. “Yordan Alvarez is expected to have a monster season, Jose Altuve is expected to return to form and Alex Bregman is expected to compete for the MVP award. On the mound, Zack Greinke is expected to take a step back as he is not among the favorites for the AL Cy Young.”

These bets should hit:

As the Astros look to bounce back from a down 2020 regular season, a healthy core that relies on progression will look to dominate the AL West. With that in mind, these following bets look to be the safest, but it all can change by regular season speed bumps.

• AL West Winner +130 43.5%
• Over/Under 87.5 wins -110 (Under) -105 (Over) 51.4% (Under) 51.2% (Over)
  • Taking the over could be easier, as the Astros will hit full strength by June
• Astros to make playoffs -110 (Yes) +110 (No) 51.4% (Yes) 47.6% (No)
  • They have the highest win projection of any AL West team
• Most Stolen Bases (MLB): Myles Straw +2200 4.3%
• Most Saves (MLB): Ryan Pressly +1200 7.7%
  • The right-hander was top five in AL saves in 2020
• Most Home Runs (MLB): Yordan Alvarez +2000 4.8%
  • The left-hander was on pace for around 54 home runs in 2019
• Most Hits (MLB): Jose Altuve +3000 3.2%

These bets are worth exploring but will be close:

• World Series Winner  +2500 3.8%
• American League Winner  +1000 9.1%
• AL MVP: Alex Bregman +1500 6.3%
• AL Manager of the Year: Dusty Baker +650 13.3%
  • If the Astros win the first seed, then it is Baker’s award
• Most Runs (MLB): Alex Bregman +3500 2.8%
  • This could be a close bet, but if he hits third, his runs will decrease

These are close to not happening:

• AL Cy Young: Zack Greinke +4500 2.2%
  • Age and strength are holding him back
• Most Wins (MLB): Zack Greinke +4000 2.4%
  • Has never led the majors in wins
• Most Strikeouts (MLB): Framber Valdez +5000 2%
  • Delayed start will shoot this down
• AL Rookie of the Year: Forrest Whitley +4000 2.4%
  • Tommy John surgery

Analytics and Oddsmaker are favoring the Astros as a team and individually in 2021, but there can always be a ‘what if?’ statement attached onto these numbers. As the front runner for the weakest division in the AL, the Astros have a high chance of running away with it, and once everyone is back healthy, these bets are easily reachable for a team with a high ceiling.