Matt LaMarca’s top Astros call is taking Ronel Blanco under 5.5 strikeouts on PrizePicks. FantasyLabs simulations give the under a 59.8% win rate and a 5.4% edge, meaning the model expects Blanco to finish with five or fewer Ks more often than not. LaMarca framed it as a long-term, projection-based play that looks even better if the Tigers insert additional contact bats into the lineup.

Guy Boston recommended Ronel Blanco over 2.5 earned runs against the Cardinals at plus money (+115) despite last year's lower hit rate. Blanco hit this over in two of his three starts this year and had a rough outing when facing Cardinals in June last season, allowing four earned runs. Guy emphasized the challenge of facing the Cardinals, highlighting their strong offensive metrics: third-ranked offense in baseball this season across several important categories (runs scored, BABIP, OBP, slugging, WRC+). Given St. Louis's formidable lineup and Blanco's shaky recent performances, Guy views this as excellent betting value for the over.

Cash Out Sports Picks advised betting on the Cardinals' offense to exploit the early-season struggles of Ronel Blanco, noting his shaky 6.94 ERA and consistent difficulties early in games (two to four runs surrendered within first five innings each outing). St. Louis is robust offensively, ranking top three league-wide in key hitting metrics: batting average, OBP, slugging, and runs scored. Cardinals hitters, notably Brendan Donovan batting .391, are in a prime spot against troubled starter Blanco, implying the Cardinals are likely to score plenty.

Kenny G sees value in betting the Astros at -115 despite not fully committing officially due to moderate confidence. His reasoning heavily favors Houston starter Ronel Blanco, who impressed Kenny last outing (5 IP, 2 ER, 7 Ks against Angels). Kenny strongly trusts Blanco over Cardinals starter Steven Matz and the shaky St. Louis bullpen (4.57 ERA). Although the Cardinals have had some positive offensive trends lately, Kenny respects the Astros' pitching more in this scenario. With Houston slightly favored at -115 despite being on the road, Kenny believes this pitching advantage justifies backing the Astros even if it's not his strongest bet of the night.

Kyle Purviance strongly advised fading Astros pitcher Ronel Blanco against the Angels, citing Blanco's poor early-season form and the Astros' struggles against right-handed pitching, ranked bottom-five in the league. Purviance also highlighted the Angels' strong offensive performance thus far, particularly mentioning emerging prospect Kyren Paris, catcher Logan O'Hoppe, Mike Trout, and a recently productive Jo Adell. He's confidently betting Angels double result and straight money line at plus 124 odds, clearly excited about the Angels as live underdogs.

Bryan Zarpentine recommends taking under 16.5 outs recorded for Ronel Blanco against the Angels. Blanco started poorly this season with short performances, going only five innings against the Giants and exiting after two innings against the Twins due to walks and inconsistency. The Angels' offense is hot, with 11 runs on Thursday and four wins in their last five games, indicating the Astros might limit Blanco's innings to rebuild confidence, further reducing his chances of pitching deep into the game.

ESPN Fantasy suggests streaming Ronel Blanco in fantasy leagues for his Friday start against the Angels. Although Blanco has struggled through two starts, allowing seven earned runs and walking seven batters in just 6.2 innings, he has also produced nine strikeouts. An injury to Spencer Arrighetti moved Blanco up in the Astros' rotation, landing him in a good situation to rebound against the Angels lineup in pitcher-friendly Daikin Park. ESPN anticipates Blanco to regain form in this beneficial matchup.

Guy Boston strongly supports betting the Astros money line (currently -122) today against the Giants. He highlights that Houston starter Ronel Blanco had a solid season last year, offering a pitching advantage over Giants' Jordan Hicks. Boston also points out that San Francisco's scoring in Cincinnati was largely due to Great American Ballpark's favorable hitting conditions rather than genuine offensive capability. Now facing tougher pitching conditions in Houston—who've already found success at home and enjoy a bullpen advantage—he believes the market significantly undervalues Houston and strongly recommends betting their money line and team total over 3.5.