Houston Astros win total odds: Over/under prediction for 2023

The Houston Astros are the defending World Series champions, and are attempting to get to 91 wins while also making another title run. We are here to share our MLB odds series and make a Houston Astros over-under win total prediction for 2023.

The Astros have not had the best season, yet they still have a chance to make some noise and win 91 games. The Astros are 52-42 with 68 games left on the season, so they will have to go 39-29 to win 91 games, which is doable. In the playoff standings, Houston is just two games behind the Texas Rangers for first place in the American League West, but they may be getting hot at just the right time. The main issue, though, is that the Astros are still dealing with injuries to key players like Yordan Alvarez.

The Astros kicked off the unofficial start to the second half of the season by picking up a series win over the Los Angeles Angels, and now have upcoming series against the Colorado Rockies and Oakland Athletics. Their schedule gets a little tougher after that, with not many games against bad teams coming until the latter part of August. So with all this considered, let's take a look and see if the Astros should be expected to win 91 games this season.

Here are the MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Houston Astros Win Total Odds

Over 90.5 games: -115

Under 90.5 games: -115

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Why The Astros Will Win 90.5 Games

The Astros have plenty of experience on their roster, which gives them a good shot to go on a hot streak down the stretch of the season. Alvarez and Jose Urquidy are returning soon, giving a team that already looks to be heating up two of their best players back. There are plenty of games against struggling teams coming up, with the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals on the schedule in the near future after the aforementioned contests against the Rockies and Athletics.

But the Astros also have a championship pedigree, which gives them even more of an edge in this situation. Moreover, it is hard to bet against the Astros after all we have seen from them over their recent stretch of success.

The key player for Houston is going to be Kyle Tucker, who has been their most consistent player this season. Tucker is batting .299 with 14 home runs, 62 runs batted in, and 48 runs scored. Tucker will have to keep it going for Houston down the stretch, especially once Alvarez returns. Given how good he has been this season, though, he should be expected to have a big finale to close out his strong campaign

Urquidy's pending return will help boost the starting rotation, which has struggled to stay afloat, especially against good teams, throughout the season. Thankfully for Houston, the bullpen has been holding down the fort, as they are the main reason why the Astros have a teamwide ERA of 3.77, which is fifth in the league.

With key players getting healthy, and their pitching staff leading the way, it makes sense to expect the Astros to reach 91 wins this season.

Why The Astros Won't Win 90.5 Games

On the other hand, there is also the possibility that we are trusting the Astros too much here. Houston hasn't looked like the dominant World Series contender that they have in past seasons this year, and there is no guarantee that Alvarez and Urquidy will be lights out immediately once they return to the field.

Looking at the schedule, there are some tough stretches on the slate for the ‘Stros, with matchups against the Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, and Miami Marlins all on the horizon. Each of these teams are capable of handing the Astros some losses, so there is no guarantee that they will be able to effortlessly reel off wins here.

Houston's hitting has been mediocre all season long. Missing Alvarez and Jose Altuve certainly is hurting, but the Astros are struggling as a unit, and it remains to be seen whether Alvarez and Altuve can change that on their own. The rest of the lineup must find ways to get hits. Otherwise, it will not matter what happens when these two stars return.

The starting rotation has been average this season, and have really been falling apart as of late. Urquidy's pending return will certainly help, but that won't singlehandedly help piece together a five-man starting rotation on a weekly basis. When you consider all the struggles we have seen from them to this point, it's fair to wonder whether Houston has another gear they can hit to reach the 91 win threshold this season.

Final Houston Astros Win Total Prediction

It is not smart to write off the Astros. Therefore, expect the Astros to come out and reel off some wins. The Astros will do enough to get to 91 wins and cover the odds.

Final Houston Astros Win Total Prediction: Over 90.5 games: -115