Astros vs. Braves Prediction and Odds for Friday, August 19th (McCullers Gives Houston Edge)

Lance McCullers Jr. returned from injury in dominant fashion last week, tossing six shutout innings against the Oakland Athletics. He gets a much stiffer test today against as the Houston Astros open a series with the potent Atlanta Braves in what could ultimately be a World Series preview.

Atlanta turns to Kyle Wright, who limited six of his last seven opponents to three runs or fewer. The Braves are 11-2 in his last 13 starts and he's got a sparkling 9-2 record at home with a 3.05 ERA.

Houston put up a ridiculous 21 runs on the White Sox yesterday - can its offense stay hot behind McCullers or will Wright pick up another victory?

Let's check out the odds from WynnBET Sportsbook to help find the value in this Astros vs Braves matchup:

Astros vs Braves Odds, Run Line and Total

Run Line:

• Astros +1.5 (-190)
• Braves -1.5 (+155)

Moneyline:

• Astros: +112
• Braves: -122

Total:

• 8.5 (Over +105/Under -125)

Astros vs Braves Prediction and Pick

This should be a fantastic series, as both clubs are red-hot and have legitimate championship aspirations. I was excited to see Lance McCullers Jr. back in action last week to complete Houston's rotation - he did not disappoint.

It's worth noting that Oakland's offense is terrible, but you couldn't ask for much more out of Lance. Atlanta has the fifth-best OPS against right-handed pitchers over the last three weeks, so this matchup will be a much stiffer test for the 28-year-old.

Even still, I think he'll find success. I'm not so confident in Kyle Wright, who has concerning underlying metrics despite a sterling overall record. His expected ERA sits at 4.07, implying he's been lucky to amass a 3.14 actual ERA, and Wright ranks in just the 34th percentile in expected batting average.

Wright surrendered nine home runs over his last six starts, and he's been lucky even in recent weeks. His two most common pitches are his curveball and sinker. Opponents are hitting .222 and .200 in August against those pitches, respectively, but the expected batting average for each sits at .306 and .317.

I think Wright's luck runs out against this Astros lineup. At the least, the plus money on Houston is too much to pass up on. Look for another sharp McCullers performance as the Astros capitalize on Wright's mistakes.

Pick: Astros (+112)

Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.