The Houston Astros (91-64) and Oakland Athletics (84-71) close out their three-game series Sunday. First pitch from Oakland Coliseum is slated for 4:07 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze the lines around the Astros vs. Athletics odds with MLB picks and predictions.
The A’s have won the first two games of the series with the first being a 14-2 rout Friday and the second being decided by a walk-off RBI double from CF Starling Marte in Oakland’s 2-1 win Saturday.
Season series: Astros lead 9-6.
RHP Jake Odorizzi is Houston’s projected starter. Odorizzi is 6-7 with a 4.22 ERA (96 IP, 45 ER), 1.22 WHIP, 2.9 BB/9 and 8.1 K/9 in 21 starts and one relief appearance.
- Last outing: No-decision in Houston’s 15-1 victory at the Texas Rangers with 1 1/3 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 BB and 1 K. Odorizzi exited early with a sprained foot and missed his last start while on the injured list.
- Road splits: 4-4 with a 4.70 ERA (53 2/3 IP, 28 ER), 1.23 WHIP and 2.6 K/BB in 12 starts.
- vs. A’s on the current roster (102 PA): 3.58 FIP with a .194 batting average, .238 wOBA, .413 expected slugging percentage, 18.6 K% and 86.9 mph exit velocity.
RHP Paul Blackburn gets the nod for the A’s. Blackburn is 1-3 with a 5.17 ERA (31 1/3 IP, 18 ER), 1.60 WHIP, 2.3 BB/9 and 6.6 K/9 across seven starts.
- Last outing: Loss, 5-2, with 4 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 1 BB and 5 K Tuesday vs. the Seattle Mariners.
- Home splits: 0-1 with a 4.67 ERA (17 1/3 IP, 9 ER), 22 H, 3 BB and 14 K over four starts.
Astros at Athletics odds, lines, picks and prediction
MLB odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 10:08 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Astros -117 (bet $117 to win $100) | Athletics -103 (bet $103 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Astros -1.5 (+133) | Athletics +1.5 (-165)
- Over/Under: 9.5 (O: +105 | U: -130)
PLAY: Free, daily sports pick’em contests. Play now!
Prediction
Astros 8, Athletics 5
Money line (ML)
“LEAN” to the ASTROS (-117) because, between starting and relief pitching, I’d give Houston the edge and the Astros have the much more productive lineup.
Oakland’s bullpen has the second-worst ERA in September and the fourth-worst WAR. Also, Blackburn has an ERA higher than 5 over his last seven starts and Odorizzi has a sub-3 ERA in his last seven outings.
On top of that, Houston has a better record in division games, against right-handed starters and is 35-26 overall as a road favorite while Oakland is only 7-12 as a home underdog.
Furthermore, the Astros clearly have the best lineup in road games. Houston’s lineup ranks first in wRC+, wOBA, BB/K and hard-hit rate away from home.
FANTASY BASEBALL: Serious about winning your league? Sign up for BaseballHQ.com to dominate the competition. Subscribe now!
Run line/Against the spread (ATS)
PASS because the payout for Houston’s money line isn’t steep enough considering the Astros are just 29-32 ATS as road favorites and the A’s are 12-7 ATS as home underdogs. Also, three of the last four Astros-Athletics meetings have been decided by a single run.
Over/Under (O/U)
“LEAN” to the OVER 9.5 (+105) for a small wager because of the Oakland bullpen’s aforementioned struggles this month, Houston’s hitting prowess on the road and the Astros having a 13-6 O/U when Odorizzi gets the start.
Additionally, the Over has cashed in 12 of the last 17 Astros-Athletics meetings and eight of the last nine in Oakland.
For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow Geoff Clark on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage. This information is for entertainment purposes only. We make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any content.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1372]