The Houston Astros will head west to take on their division rival Oakland Athletics at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. NBC Sports – California will showcase the matchup and the first pitch will be at 10:05 p.m. ET.
Houston Astros vs. Oakland Athletics Odds
Oakland (+125) is the home-team underdog against Houston (-135) and Vegas has set the Over/Under for this game at 7.5 runs (+100 for the under and -120 for the over). The game’s runline odds stand at +110 for betting the Astros -1.5 runs and -130 for the Athletics +1.5.
The Astros are 42-25 SU and are 36-31 against the spread (ATS). They’ve accumulated 1.4 units for moneyline bettors and 3.5 units ATS. Houston is 3-4 ATS over its last seven games and the over has hit in five of those seven. The Athletics, on the other hand, are 34-32 SU and 31-35 ATS. The team has gained 2.0 units for bettors taking the moneyline while earning 5.0 units ATS. Oakland has a 3-4 ATS mark over its last seven outings and the total has gone under in five of those seven.
Athletics games have a 29-33-4 over/under record so far in 2018. The Astros have been a decent under bet with a total record of 28-35-4.
Lance McCullers Jr. will get the nod for the visiting Astros. The right-handed McCullers Jr. is 7-3 with a 3.94 ERA and 76 strikeouts. He’s 2-0 with 10 strikeouts and a 1.50 ERA against Oakland this year.
The Athletics will put the ball in the right hand of Daniel Mengden (6-5, 3.45 ERA), who’s got 51 punchouts and 11 walks as well as a 1.02 WHIP. Mengden is 0-2 with five strikeouts and a 6.00 ERA in one start against Houston this year.
As a unit, Oakland’s pitching staff has allowed 4.2 runs per game overall this year. The club’s starters have an ERA of 4.07, a WHIP of 1.15 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 6.8. The bullpen has a 3.54 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 8.3 K/9. In 31 divisional games, Athletics starters have an ERA of 5.16 and the bullpen’s ERA is 4.37.
The Oakland offense has produced 4.4 runs per outing, including 3.5 per game against divisional foes and 3.2 per game over its last five. The team has a slash-line of .258/.313/.411 over its last five matchups and is 3-2 SU during that stretch.
Second baseman Jed Lowrie and shortstop Marcus Semien have led the way for the Athletics’ offense this year. Lowrie is hitting .285/.349/.466 with nine home runs, 42 RBIs and 25 runs scored, while Semien’s line sits at .260/.312/.372 with five homers, 25 RBIs and 38 runs scored.
In the visiting dugout, Houston’s pitchers have allowed 3.1 runs per game and its starters own a 2.91 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 10.23 K/9. The bullpen has an ERA of 2.97, along with a K/9 of 10.41.
The Astros offense has slashed .260/.333/.424 on its way to 5.0 runs scored per game in 2018, including 5.0 runs per game against divisional foes and 6.2 per game over the team’s last five outings (5-0 SU).
Second baseman Jose Altuve and right fielder George Springer continue to lead Houston’s hitters. Altuve is slashing .342/.388/.471 with five home runs, 34 RBIs, 40 runs and 10 steals, while Springer (.295/.367/.517) is up to 14 homers, 41 RBIs and 51 runs scored.
The Astros have gained 2.4 units and are 23-18 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher this season. The over has cashed in 16 of those games, as opposed to 22 that’ve gone under against righty starters. On the other hand, the Athletics have netted 7.5 units and are 21-23 ATS when facing a righty starter. The over’s hit in 21 of those games, compared to 21 that went under.
Houston Astros vs. Oakland Athletics Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Astros, ATS Winner – Astros, O/U – OVER
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Notes
Betting Notes
The Athletics have won three of their last four games SU.
Houston has recorded 23.4 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 outings and 27.4 over its last five.
The Astros have hit 14 home runs in their last 10 games, including eight over their last five.
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