Gerrit Cole O/U 8.5 Strikeouts vs. Astros
The Yankees are on fire, winning seven of the past eight games. They throw Gerrit Cole on the mound for a potential sweep of the Astros in what should be the most exciting game of the day.
No one could be more pumped up for this spot than Cole himself, being a former Houston Astro ace. Cole pitched in 2018 and 2019 with Houston, coming one game within a World Series Championship in 2019.
With the Yankees, Cole has pitched 18 games, thrown 156 strikeouts in 110.2 innings and is 11-4 in two seasons. This season, Cole has a 1.43 ERA (4th-best) and 4-1 record in six starts throwing 62 strikeouts (3rd) in 37.2 innings (19th).
Cole has 0.72 WHIP (3rd) and opponents are hitting at a .178 batting average versus him for the season. This will be Cole’s first start versus Houston since being acquired by New York. [[ad:athena]]
NBC’s model projects Cole to record 9.5 strikeouts in 7.0 innings, both the highest on the slate. When Cole goes 6.1 innings or longer, he has gone Over 8.5 strikeouts in all three games this season and four-of-five at 6.0-plus.
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Houston struck out six times to Domingo German and four times to Jordan Montgomery in the last two games. In the last seven days, Houston has 50 strikeouts (19th) compared to 14 walks (last), 22 runs (24th) and a .228 batting average (21st) in six games.
The Astros are last in walks over the previous seven days and that could be worrisome versus Cole. The Yankees’ ace has zero walks in his past three games to 33 strikeouts over 19.1 innings.
Cole has thrown at least eight strikeouts in every game this season in addition to tossing 10 or more Ks in three-straight and four-of-six on the season.
With Cole playing Houston for the first time, there is not much experience versus the Astros hitters in game situations.
Versus Aledmys Diaz, Martin Maldonado and Michael Brantley, they have four to six at-bats versus Cole in their careers. The other four hitters, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa and Jason Castro, have all faced Cole three times or fewer. The rest of the lineup/roster will see Cole for the first time in-game.
With the Yankees going for the 3-0 sweep over the Astros in a heated series, I will back the best pitcher on both teams to closeout game three. I am playing this at +105 odds for 1.5u. I would play 9.5 for 1u at + money.
Pick: Gerrit Cole Over 8.5 Strikeouts (1.5u)
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