St. Louis at Houston

The Houston Astros lost 106 games last season, so it is difficult emotionally for a gambler to grab this team, as the psychological effects of a 106-loss team lingers into the following season. The fact is that this is a vastly improved team, and if you look at this from just a venue perspective, Houston is the better team. The Astros are better than pedestrian at home where they are a robust 17-12, while the Cardinals have fallen below the .500 mark on the road at 15-16. The Cardinals have trouble slowing down teams with offensive momentum as they are now 2-12 in their last 14 when facing a team that scored 5 or more runs in their last game. Houston has now risen above the bad teams at home at 5-0 in their last five here vs. a team with a losing road record. Play on Houston.