Thursday’s matchup between the Athletics and Astros is set to get started at 2:10 PM ET from Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX. The Astros are currently favored on the money line, with their odds sitting at -245, while the Athletics are the +204 underdog. The over/under line is sitting at 8 runs.
Oakland will be looking to keep their two-game winning streak alive, as they are 64-82 and in 4th place in the AL West. Houston is 77-68 and has Framber Valdez on the mound, while the Athletics are starting Mitch Spence.
Underdog Athletics Aim to Upset Astros with Spence on the Mound
The Athletics are 64-82 overall and 13.5 games behind the Astros in the AL West. They are 21-24 in divisional games this year and 36-39 at home. Oakland is sending Mitch Spence to the mound today, and he is 7-9 with a 4.42 ERA. So far, he has made 20 starts and has three quality starts. The Athletics are 5-5 over their last 10 games.
Today, the Athletics are underdogs vs. the Astros, and they are 53-77 in this spot. Oakland is 75-55 on the run line when the underdog. The over/under line for today’s game is set at 8 runs, and the Athletics are 17-16-1 when the line is set at 8 runs. This season, 50.0% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8 or higher. The Athletics are 26th in scoring this season with 4.1 runs per game, and they are 18th in batting average at .234. However, they are 5th in homers with 184. Brent Rooker has been the team’s top hitter and is hitting .367 with 2 homers and 8 RBI in his last 7 games. Miguel Andujar is on a 5-game hitting streak.
Astros Aim to Halt Losing Streak with Valdez on the Mound
The Astros have lost three straight games and are looking to avoid dropping four in a row today. They are 21-20 in divisional matchups this season and currently lead the AL West by 3.5 games over the Mariners. Houston is 41-32 at home this season and 36-36 on the road. As the favorite, they are 59-49 and 18-19 as the underdog. Framber Valdez will be on the mound for the Astros, and he is 14-6 with a 2.98 ERA. Valdez has a WHIP of 1.09 and has 15 quality starts this season.
Offensively, the Astros are 3rd in batting average at .261 and 12th in scoring at 4.6 runs per game. Yordan Alvarez leads the team with a .313 batting average and .397 on-base percentage, while Yainer Diaz leads the team with 81 RBI. Jose Altuve has been hot at the plate recently, hitting .500 over his last 5 games with 6 runs scored and 1 home run. The Astros have played in 88 games with over/under lines set at 8 runs or higher, and their combined run average is 8.6 runs per game. Houston’s over/under record is 59-81, and they are 12-13-2 when the over/under line is set at 8 runs.
Astros vs. Athletics: Bet on the Astros and Take the Over at 8 Runs
Our prediction for the Astros vs. Athletics matchup is to take the Astros on the money line. However, with the payout being just -245, we recommend taking the over at 8 runs. Our predicted final score is 6-5 in favor of the Astros.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Framber Valdez is projected to finish with five strikeouts compared to Mitch Spence with six. However, Valdez is projected to finish with a better ERA, and we have him finishing with a win 9th best among starters.
