The Houston Astros (23-28) travel to face off against the Oakland Athletics (21-32) on Saturday, May 25th. This game will be played at Oakland Coliseum in Oakland and televised on None. The Astros are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Athletics are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Astros. First pitch is set for 4:07 ET.
Astros vs Athletics
Houston cruised to a 6-3 win over the Athletics in the most recent game of this series. The Astros had a huge 4th inning, scoring all six of their runs. As for the A’s, they scored their three runs in the 5th. Heading into the game, the Astros were favored at -181 on the money line.
Justin Verlander only went six innings for the Astros but gave up just one run and picked up a win. Josh Hader got the save. Ross Stripling had a rough outing for the A’s, taking the loss.
At the plate, Jake Meyers and Jose Altuve each had three RBIs for the Astros. Yordan Alvarez scored twice and drove in a run while going 2/4. Jon Singleton also had a two-hit game and scored a run.
Houston is 23-28 overall and trails the Mariners by 3.5 games in the AL West. So far, they have gone 11-7 against other teams in the division. The Astros are on a two-game winning streak, and they are 7-3 over their last 10 games overall.
At home, the Astros are 14-15 this year, and they are just below .500 at 9-13 on the road. As the favorite, Houston has gone 18-22 and 5-6 as the underdog. So far this season, they are 7-8-1 in series.
When the Astros win, they win big, with an average run margin of 4.3 runs per game in victories. However, they have a negative run differential overall this season, with an average run margin of -0.1 runs per game. They have been a poor bet against the run line overall, going 21-30, including a 9-13 mark on the road. Houston has covered the run line in two straight games and is 6-5 against the run line as an underdog this season.
The Houston Astros are on the road today against the Oakland Athletics. The over/under line for the game is set at 8.5 runs, which is lower than their season average of 9.4 runs per game. Houston has gone over the total in 21 of their 48 games this season, and their games have averaged 9 runs per game.
Spencer Arrighetti Gets The Start For The Astros
Houston is sending right-hander Spencer Arrighetti to the mound today vs. the Athletics. Arrighetti has made seven starts this year and has a record of 2-4 with a 7.16 ERA. So far, he has pitched much better at home, coming in with a 4.24 ERA compared to 13.27 on the road. In his most recent outing, Arrighetti picked up the win, going 6 1/3 innings and giving up four earned runs on seven hits. Before that, he had given up at least two earned runs in three straight outings. Opponents are batting .302 off Arrighetti this season.
Astros Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Astros are the top hitting team in the league, with a team batting average of .265. They also come into the game as the league’s top home run hitting team, and they are near the top of the league in terms of slugging percentage and OPS. Houston is also the top team in the league at avoiding strikeouts, and they are averaging 4.6 runs per game.
Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve are both tied for 2nd on the Astros with 9 homers this season, with Kyle Tucker leading the team and the league with 17 long balls. Tucker also comes into the game as the team’s top run producer, with 36 RBIs. Over his last eight games, Tucker has four homers and is batting .321. Jake Meyers has also been hot of late, going 13/29 in his last eight games with three homers.
The Athletics host the Astros today with an overall record of 21-32, and they are 6.5 games behind the Mariners for the AL West lead. So far, they have really struggled against other AL West teams, going 4-11 this year. Oakland is also 4th in the AL West heading into today’s game.
At home, the Athletics are 12-15 this year compared to 9-17 on the road. Oakland has dropped nine straight games as the underdog, and they are just 6-13 as the underdog at home this year. As for their overall record as the underdog, the Athletics are 15-30. So far, they have gone 6-2 when favored this year.
When the A’s win, they win big, with an average run margin of 3.2 runs. But when they lose, they lose big, with an average run margin of -4.0 runs. That has led to a run line record of 24-29 overall, including a 12-15 mark at home and 12-14 on the road. They have lost six straight against the run line as the favorite, with a 2-6 record in that spot. As the underdog, they are 22-23 against the run line.
The Oakland Athletics are playing at home against the Houston Astros today, with the over/under line set at 8.5 runs. The combined run average for their games this season is 8.8 runs, and their over/under record is 26-25. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 6-7. So far this season, 11.3% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs or higher, and their current over streak is at 2 games.
JP Sears Gets The Start For The Athletics
Left-hander JP Sears gets the start for the Athletics today as he faces the Astros at home. He has made 10 starts this year and has a record of 3-3 with an ERA of 4.31. Sears most recently faced the Royals, where he took the loss, going 4 1/3 innings and giving up four earned runs. Before that outing, he had won two straight starts. One of those wins came against the Marlins, where he didn’t give up a run in 6 1/3 innings of work. Sears’ WHIP for the season is 1.18, and opponents are batting .232 off him this year.
Athletics Offense Breakdown
As a team, the Athletics are batting just .224 this season, which is 20th in the league. However, they have been a good home run hitting team and are 4th in the league in home runs. Overall, they are 27th in the league in runs scored at 3.8 runs per game. The Athletics have been even worse on the road, averaging just 2.9 runs per contest.
Over his last eight games, J.D. Davis is hitting .308 with two homers and three RBIs. JJ Bleday also has three homers in his last nine games, but is batting just .243 over that stretch. Davis is also on a four-game hitting streak, while Bleday has hit safely in his last seven games. Brent Rooker has been one of the team’s top power threats, as he is 7th in the league with 11 homers and is batting .285.
Astros vs Athletics Prediction
With the Astros being our predicted winner, getting them on the money line at -144 is a good value. We actually have the Astros winning this one by a score of 5-4, so there is some value in taking the over, as well. However, we have this game going over, but just by half a run, so we would stick with the Astros on the money line.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have JP Sears finishing with four strikeouts compared to Spencer Arrighetti with five. However, Sears is a better option in terms of picking up a win, as we have him going 10th best in terms of starters compared to Arrighetti at the bottom.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:May 25, 2024 Astros, Athletics