Astros vs. Yankees Prediction, Odds and Props for Aug. 26: Yankees Bounce Back

Written By Jason Green | Published at August 26, 2026

Astros vs. Yankees prediction, odds, and players props for second game of AL series. The Astros won the series opener 9-7. — Aug 25, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger (35) hits a three run home run during the third inning against the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros won the first game of this series against the New York Yankees to move to the .500 mark. Let’s dive into this Astros vs. Yankees prediction to get the pitching matchup, latest odds, and value player prop bets.

The Astros (66-66) have lost six of their last nine games, and during that skid, they fired their general manager. Even at .500, they are atop the weak American League West, a half-game up on the Texas Rangers and 2.5 games clear of the Seattle Mariners.

The Yankees (74-57) have lost two of their last three games after winning five in a row. While they have the second-best record in the AL and are in second place in the AL East, 3.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays, they have the top Wild Card spot.

The Yankees are the moneyline favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, posted at -143 with the Astros at +119 and a total of 9 runs.

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Leading MVP Candidate Comes Up Clutch

In the opener of this series, Yordan Alvarez, who is the heavy MVP favorite at DraftKings at -2000, came up clutch with a go-ahead triple in the eighth inning in the Astros 9-7 win. He was 3-for-5 in the win; Yainer Diaz had two home runs and three RBIs, and Jeremy Pena had a two-run home run.

This season, Houston ranks 12th in runs scored and only 25th in team ERA.

Alvarez (.323, 36 home runs, 91 RBIs), who leads the Majors in batting average, ranks tied for second in home runs, and fifth in RBIs, is hitting .294 this month with nine RBIs, but only one home run.

The Astros have split the four games facing the Yankees this season.

Houston Starter for Second Game of Series

Peter Lambert (8-7, 3.68 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) gets the Game 2 nod for the Astros and is coming off his worst start of the season, getting lit up for nine runs in 3 2/3 innings in an 18-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Houston has lost two of his last three starts, and in the five outings before the last one, he gave up two runs in each one. This season, Lambert has 120 strikeouts and 48 walks in 122 1/3 innings, and this will be his first start this season facing the Yankees.

Bullpen Not Like the Season in Game 1

The Yankees rank second in the Majors in bullpen ERA, but in the opener of this series, that unit gave up six of the nine runs. In the 9-7 loss, Cody Bellinger hit a three-run home run, and Luis Garcia Jr. went yard and had three RBIs.

This season, New York has been led by their pitching, ranking first in team ERA, and while the Bronx Bombers are living up to their name with the second most home runs, the club only ranks 18th in runs scored.

Ben Rice (.249, 32 home runs, 84 RBIs) leads the club in home runs and RBIs, and while he has three home runs and nine RBIs this month, he is only batting .141.

Bellinger (.258, 12 home runs, 56 RBIs) is recently back after missing more than a month with a hamstring injury. The team has been without reigning MVP Aaron Judge since late May due to a rib injury, and while he recently began batting practice and throwing, there is still no return date.

Garcia Jr. (.283, 27 home runs, 85 RBIs), who was brought in with a trade from the Washington Nationals early this month, has three home runs and six RBIs over the last four games.

New York Starter for Second Game of Series

As of early Wednesday morning, the Yankees have not named a starter for this game.

Astros vs. Yankees Prediction

Even though a starter has not been announced for the Yankees, they are a good bet to bounce back and get a win. They may not light up Lambert as he did in his last outing, but they will get him for some runs, and the solid New York bullpen will not give up six runs like in the first game.

The Yankees have the second-best record in the AL and the top team ERA in baseball, and they will get it done at home, beating the Astros and sending them to their third loss in four games.

Best Bet: Yankees Moneyline – DraftKings, -143

Player Prop Bets

Here are some solid value player prop bets at DraftKings:

Peter Lambert to give up Over 4.5 hits: DraftKings, -119 – Lambert gave up eight hits in his last start and has given up over four in four of his last six starts.
Yordan Alvarez 2+ hits: DraftKings, +217 – Pretty good value for Alvarez here, as he had three hits in the series opener and leads the Majors in batting average.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. to steal a base: DraftKings, +316 – Chisholm Jr. ranks second in baseball in stolen bases, and while only batting .221 on the season, he has five hits over the last three games.