The Houston Astros will head west to play their divisional foe Oakland Athletics at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. NBC Sports – California will showcase the matchup and the first pitch is scheduled for 10:05 p.m. ET.
Houston Astros at Oakland Athletics Odds
Vegas is listing Houston (-135) as the favorite over Oakland (+125). Bettors can gamble on the games total with odds listed at -120 for over 7.5 runs and even money (+100) for under 7.5. Runline odds stand at +110 for taking the Astros -1.5 runs and -130 for the Athletics +1.5 runs.
The Athletics are 34-32 SU and 31-35 ATS. They’ve gained 2.0 units for moneyline bettors while gaining 5.0 units against the spread (ATS). Oakland has a 3-4 ATS mark over its last seven games and the under has hit in five of those seven. The Astros have gone 42-25 SU this year and are 36-31 ATS. Overall, the teams accumulated 1.4 units for gamblers taking the moneyline and 3.5 units ATS. Houston is 3-4 ATS over its last seven games and the total has gone over in five of those seven.
Oakland games have had an over/under record of 29-33-4 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 start for Houston. 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 are handing the ball to righty Daniel Mengden (6-5, 3.45 ERA), who has 51 strikeouts 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.
Houston’s pitching staff 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-per-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 teams last five contests (5-0 SU).
Houston’s hitters have been powered by second baseman Jose Altuve and outfielder George Springer, who’ve collectively launched 19 home runs. Altuve is hitting .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.
For the home team, Oakland’s pitching staff has allowed 4.2 runs per game overall this season. Its starters have a 4.07 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 6.8 strikeouts per nine innings. The bullpen has a 3.54 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 8.3 K/9. In 31 games against divisional opponents, Athletics starters have an ERA of 5.16 and the bullpens ERA is 4.37.
The Oakland hitters are putting up 4.4 runs per contest, including 3.5 per game against divisional foes and 3.2 per game over their last five. The team has slashed .258/.313/.411 over its last five games and is 3-2 SU during that stretch.
Second baseman Jed Lowrie and shortstop Marcus Semien have led the Athletics offense this year. Lowrie is slashing .285/.349/.466 with nine home runs, 42 RBIs and 25 runs scored, and Semien’s line is .260/.312/.372 with five homers, 25 RBIs and 38 runs.
The Astros have gained 2.4 units and are 23-18 ATS when facing a righty starter this season. The over has cashed in 16 of those games, compared to 22 that’ve gone under in such games. On the other hand, the Athletics have netted 7.5 units and are 21-23 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher. The overs hit in 21 of those games, compared to 21 that’ve gone under.
Houston Astros vs. Oakland Athletics Free Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Astros, ATS Winner – Astros, O/U – OVER
Betting Notes
- The Athletics have won three of their last four games SU.
- Oakland has recorded 23.6 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 contests and 20.0 over its last five.
- The Astros have hit 14 home runs in their last 10 games, including eight over their last five.
