Astros vs Padres Odds, Picks, and Lines (Sep. 3)
- AL West leader Houston comes into this game with a 4.5-game division lead
- San Diego is on the outside looking in, 14 games back in the NL West and trying to cling on to a wild-card spot
- Read on for a preview, full odds and a best bet for this crucial Friday night interleague contest
The Houston Astros (78-55, 37-30 away) visit the San Diego Padres (71-63, 41-29 home) on Friday, September 3rd, to kick off an important three-game series, particularly for the NL West’s Padres. Currently third in the division, 14 games adrift of the Dodgers and Giants, San Diego desperately needs a win here to keep pace in the National League’s wild-card race, with the Friars a half-game back of Cincinnati.
The Padres are turning to Jake Arrieta and his 5-12 record to deliver that win on Friday night. Already in the midst of a brutal season, the veteran right-hander faces a tall order against a favored Astros team that enters the contest with the second-best record in the AL. Houston faces few such worries, putting right-hander Jose Urquidy and his 6-3 record on the mound here.
Astros vs Padres Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Astros | -135 | -1.5 (+115) | Over 9 (-110) |
| San Diego Padres | +115 | +1.5 (-135) | Under 9 (-110) |
Odds as of September 2nd at DraftKings
Probable Pitchers
After losing three of their last four, the Astros will be somewhat relieved to turn to Urquidy and his 3.38 ERA season average for Friday’s contest.
Jose Urquidy, in his second rehab start for the @SL_Skeeters, tonight against El Paso: 5ip, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB, 5K. 62 pitches/45 strikes pic.twitter.com/Xx8KQWPmjR
— Mark Berman (@MarkBerman_) August 30, 2021
The 26-year-old returns after being out since late June with shoulder discomfort, but he had pitched well over the first half of the season, posting a winning record and 0.96 WHIP with 66 strikeouts to just 13 walks in 77.1 innings of work.
Urquidy vs Arrieta Stats
| 6-3 | Record | 5-12 |
| 3.38 | ERA | 37.13 |
| 77.1 | Innings Pitched | 89.2 |
| 66 | SO | 77 |
| 13 | BB | 40 |
In his third major-league season, the right-hander will be making his first appearance against the Padres. However, he has not fared particularly well in interleague play, having gone 0-1 with a 3.92 ERA in four starts across 20.2 innings.
Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers
| Padres Batters | Batting Average vs Jose Urquidy |
|---|---|
| Austin Nola | .500 |
| Jurickson Profar | .000 |
| Astros Batters | Batting Average vs Jake Arrieta |
| Jose Altuve | .667 |
| Alex Bregman | .333 |
| Carlos Correa | 1.000 |
| Aledmys Diaz | .357 |
| Yuli Gurriel | .000 |
| Martin Maldonado | .143 |
Already onto second team of the season after his release from the Cubs last month, Arrieta is some way off his 3.95 career average.
Despite a fresh start in San Diego, his Padres debut showed few signs of hope, as Arrieta lasted just 3.1 innings before leaving his start against Colorado. The innings he did pitch were anything but distinguished either, as he gave up five earned runs in another short start. In fact, he’s only pitched beyond the fifth inning four times this season, and the last of those was back on May 14.
A quality start and a W for @JArrieta34!#CubTogether pic.twitter.com/wdwYEzS8TZ
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 15, 2021
However, he does own a perfect 1-0 record against the Astros, having given up three earned runs in 5.1 innings in his only start against them five years ago. And, though he’s still settling into the home dugout at San Diego’s Petco Park, he has a 2-2 record with a 4.30 ERA across seven starts there.
Friars In Front
As interleague rivals, the Astros and Padres don’t see each other all that often. However, the head-to-head contests between these two have been heavily tilted towards the Padres of late, with the Friars owning a 5-1 edge in their games over the past three seasons, with three of those games coming back in May in Houston. The Astros’ 7-4 win on May 30 snapped a five-game Padres win streak in the series.
Astros vs Padres Pick
While the Padres may have been sitting in the catbird seat in this series of late – and have far more reasons to need this game than the Astros at present – Jake Arrieta is just too much of a liability to trust. Even with a decent track record at Petco Park, the fact that the 35-year-old is pitching for his third team in the past 12 months and in the midst of a career-worst season, leads to just one conclusion.
Best bet: Astros -1.5 (+115)
For the last 20 years, Paul Attfield has worked in sports media. Starting out in his native Britain with the likes of The Independent, he eventually switched continents, with his work appearing in the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and Yahoo Sports since.
