Astros vs Dodgers Odds, and Picks (June 23)

• The Astros surged past the Mets, winning 10-8.
• Los Angeles shut out the Angels, 2-0, on Wednesday.
• The Dodgers are 400-334 in their all-time history against Houston.

The Astros (41-34) and the Dodgers (41-33) face off in a top-tier matchup. Neither team has been able to pull away from their divisional opponents as they have in the past, but both are still in playoff contention.

How to Watch

• SportsNet

Preview

Houston has been having an inconsistent season so far this year. In their last 15 games, they’ve gone just 5-10. They’ve fallen over 5 games behind the Texas Rangers for 1st place in the division. The Astros didn’t play many top teams during that span, but will now face the Dodgers and Rangers on the road in the coming days. They need to turn things around or they may fall out of the postseason picture before long.

The Dodgers have fallen into 3rd place in the NL West division, a shocking development for a team that had found a mainstay in 1st place over the past decade. They’ve gone 6-10 in their last 16 games, most notably being swept by the Giants at home over the weekend. Los Angeles will face an equally desperate Houston team here, before entering a much easier stretch of schedule that they’ll need to capitalize on.

Prediction

Both of these teams have been shockingly mediocre over the past two weeks, and are in desperate need of a hot streak. Los Angeles definitely has an advantage in this game, playing in their home stadium. They also have rookie Emmet Sheehan on the mound, who shut the Giants out in 6 innings pitched in his first start. He should have the advantage over Houston’s J.P. France (3.42 ERA). I’ll take the Dodgers to win it.

MLB Picks: