Rays vs Astros Best Bets and Expert Picks – Sunday July 05, 2026

Tampa Bay Rays

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Houston Astros

Tampa Bay Rays Insights

• Mason Englert – Over/Under 14.5 Pitching Outs (-115/-115)
  Mason Englert has averaged 74 adjusted pitches per outing this year, grading out in the 3rd percentile.
  Explain: Pitchers who average more pitches per game are more likely to go deeper into games and record more outs.
• Cedric Mullins – Over/Under 0.5 Hits (-170/+135)
  Cedric Mullins is projected to bat 4th in the batting order in this game, which would be an upgrade from his 74% rate of hitting in the bottom-half of the lineup this season.
  Explain: The higher in the order a player bats, the more plate appearances he will get and the more opportunities he will get to hit the Over for every market. A player who hits higher in the order than he normally does may provide extra value opportunity since the market may be based on him hitting lower.
• Yandy Diaz – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+100/-130)
  Yandy Diaz has a 100th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (43.3%) and will be challenged by the game’s 9th-deepest RF fences in today’s matchup.
  Explain: This player’s skill set does not match up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to worse-than-usual performance.

Houston Astros Insights

• Peter Lambert – Over/Under 4.5 Strikeouts (-110/-120)
  Peter Lambert has a reverse platoon split and has the benefit of facing 6 opposite-handed hitters in this matchup.
  Explain: A pitcher with a reverse platoon split will perform better against opposite-handed hitters (i.e. a right-handed pitcher will be better against a left-handed hitter). Holding this advantage against several hitters can have a huge impact on whether a pitcher will perform well or struggle on any given day.
• Yordan Alvarez – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (-130/+100)
  Yordan Alvarez has been hot lately, raising his seasonal exit velocity of 94.4-mph to 100.2-mph in the last week.
  Explain: Hitting the ball hard increases the chances of either a home run or the ball landing in fair territory for a hit before a fielder can get to it.
• Collectively, Houston Astros batters have not performed well when assessing hitting balls in the launch angle band that tends to optimize home runs (between 23° and 34°), placing 8th-worst in the majors.
  Explain: Balls that are hit too low can’t clear the fences, and balls that are hit too high generally don’t go far enough and are easy pop flies, but balls hit between 23° and 34° are far more likely to become home runs.

Betting Trends

• Houston Astros – Over/Under 2.5 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total (+110/-140)
  The Houston Astros have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total Under in 7 of their last 10 games at home (+3.90 Units / 31% ROI)
• Tampa Bay Rays – 1st Five Innings (F5) Moneyline (-110)
  The Tampa Bay Rays have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Moneyline in 9 of their last 10 games (+9.00 Units / 62% ROI)
• Cedric Mullins – Over/Under 0.5 Home Runs (+450/-750)
  Cedric Mullins has hit the Home Runs Over in 4 of his last 7 games (+15.80 Units / 226% ROI)