Houston Astros Odds, Predictions 2023: Best World Series, Wins Total, Player & Team Prop Picks

Can the Houston Astros defend their World Series title? Find out as we look at our best team futures picks and Astros predictions for the 2023 MLB season based on the top MLB odds.

Sure, the Houston Astros are deep and talented with a well-constructed roster. But eventually, you'd think that annually losing a superstar would lead to a gut shot or two.

And yet they just keep winning.

In three straight offseasons, the Astros have watched as a significant All-Star-level talent departed. First, it was George Springer leaving after the 2020 season, and the Astros then won 95 games before appearing in the World Series. Then the Carlos Correa era ended in Houston following the 2021 campaign, and the Astros bulldozed the AL West while going 106-56 en route to another World Series title.

The club has appeared in four of the last six World Series, all also while notching 100-plus wins four times since 2017.

But now the team will need to repeat a difficult task: Winning without Justin Verlander, arguably the most significant recent free-agency loss. A stable of flamethrowers is ready, as is an intimidating offense.

Here is our look at the best odds and our top 2023 Houston Astros predictions.

Check out our 2023 Boston Red Sox odds and picks, 2023 New York Yankees odds and picks, 2023 Toronto Blue Jays odds and picks, 2023 Baltimore Orioles odds and picks, and 2023 Tampa Bay Rays odds and picks.

Astros odds 2023 

Astros wins total odds

Astros predictions: Wins total Over/Under

Over 95.5 (+105 via DraftKings Sportsbook)

The blow from Jose Altuve missing time could only be a glancing one due to the Astros' daunting offensive depth. That means the main issue when considering the team's win total is how effectively the starting staff can carry forward without Verlander.

We don't need to look far for an example of how such a season can play out. Verlander missed the entire 2021 campaign following Tommy John surgery. The Astros then shrugged their shoulders before winning 95 games, finishing with the best record in their division, and the second-best mark in the American League.

It says a whole lot about the success of a franchise when a 95-win season feels like a step back compared to recent campaigns. But with the stratosphere the Astros have reached, repeating that season would mean 11 fewer wins after 106 victories in 2022.

That's why the Over feels dangerous here at first. However, the 2021 Astros didn't boast the current version of Framber Valdez.

His workload and role have grown, and his already impressive ERA went from 3.14 in 2021 to 2.82 in 2022. He limits damage masterfully and keeps the ball on the ground. Valdez allowed only 11 homers in 2022, and his groundball rate finished at 67.4%.

The even more significant difference for the Astros' staff sans Verlander is the emergence of Cristian Javier. He's now fresh off logging his first full season as a starter, when he opened eyes while rolling along to a 2.54 ERA. Javier's lethal fastball-slider combo sent plenty back to the dugout baffled en route to 11.7 K/9 in 2022, and a 33.2% strikeout rate that sat among the top 6% of the league, according to Baseball Savant.

The Astros still have the powerful arms and bats to be the class of their division and challenge to finish atop the American League for the third straight campaign.

Check out our 2023 World Series Odds, 2023 MLB steals leader odds, and 2023 MLB RBI leader odds.

Astros predictions: Team prop

To finish with the best record in MLB (+480 via PointsBet)

The Astros hovering around the league's best record is as reliable as dads saying "let's rock and roll!" when getting up to leave a restaurant.

They've finished among the top three in wins four times since 2017. That run includes a first in 2019, and only narrowly finishing behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022 (106 wins to the Dodgers' 111).

Few sane souls would ever doubt the Astros' ball-whacking offense. That's still true even without Altuve, the pint-sized slugger who's likely out until around June after suffering a broken right thumb during the World Baseball Classic.

His absence stings, but the Astros are one of the few teams with the depth to persevere through such a key injury. They boast four other sluggers who clubbed 20-plus homers in 2022 (Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, and Jeremy Pena). Also, Altuve missed 38 games in 2019, and he still finished with 31 homers and a .903 OPS.

Staying in the top tier isn't supposed to be easy. But whether it's battling through injuries or departures, the Astros have firmly established they possess the deep talent core to remain at an exceptional level.

Check out our MLB 2023 home run leader odds and picks, MLB 2023 strikeout leader odds and picks, and MLB 2023 wins leader odds and picks.

Astros predictions: Player prop

Yordan Alvarez to lead MLB in home runs (+1200 via Caesars Sportsbook)

Air Yordan is fourth or fifth on the oddsboard in this category at most sportsbooks, leading to an appealing price for a slugger who regularly deposits balls on Neptune.

Alvarez is everything you want out of a potential home run king. He makes a whole lot of quality contact, which continued in 2022 and led to career highs in home runs (37) and OPS (1.019, the second-best mark in MLB).

Seemingly everything that comes off his bat is a screaming missile. Absurdly, he finished among the top 1% in average exit velocity (95.2) and hard-hit rate (59.8) in 2022. And his plate awareness makes him even more dangerous, as he doesn't just set his sights firmly on the fences. His walk rate (12.5) also ranked among the 93rd percentile.

Health remains the primary hurdle for Alvarez. In 2021 and 2022 he appeared in 144 and 135 games, respectively. Yet he still finished third in the American league in dingers in 2022.

He possesses the power and all-around quality approach to challenge for the home run lead. Now he just needs to stay on the field.

Check out our MLB 2023 Cy Young odds and picks, MLB 2023 MVP odds and picks, and MLB 2023 Rookie of the Year odds and picks.

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