Baseball bettors stand up and take notice – the Arizona Diamondbacks are the hottest team in the National League. After winning four straight games, the D-Backs are about to catch West Division leaders San Francisco, who lead Arizona by a game in the standings. Arizona plays the Houston Astros Saturday (7:05 pm ET) in the second of their three game set at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Veteran left-hander Zach Duke (no record) will make his Diamondbacks debut as starting pitcher for Arizona while right-hander Bud Norris (2-3, 3.77 ERA) gets the call for Houston.
With Duke and Norris scheduled to start, MLB Odds on the Bodog.eu board list the Astros as -135 moneyline favorites with a 8-run total. D-Back supporters are getting +125 moneyline odds as underdogs. Run-Line prices are +1 1/2 (-190) for Arizona and -1 1/2 (+160) for Houston.
Duke broke his pitching hand on a come-backer in Spring Training and is just now able to make his first start since coming to the D-Backs in a trade with his former club, the Pittsburgh Pirates. Getting a win tonight could prove to be difficult as he faces Norris who is tough at Minute Maid Park. Since last season's All-Star break, his home winning percentage is .875 while his ERA is solid at .183.
Early betting trends show the public risking Houston on both the moneyline and run line odds while 83 percent of totals wagers are being risked on the OVER (8).
My MLB Odds pick is Houston for this game primarly because Norris is good at home. Also you must take into consideration that Duke hasn't seen a major league park since September and might not have his stuff up to major league levels.
