The Oakland Athletics (19-24) travel to face off against the Houston Astros (16-25) on Tuesday, May 14th. This game will be played at Minute Maid Park in Houston 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 8:10 ET.
Athletics vs Astros
Houston cruised to a 9-2 win over the Athletics in the most recent game of this series. The Astros had a huge 2nd inning, scoring four of their nine runs. As for the Athletics, they scored their only two runs in the 4th. Heading into the game, the Astros were favored at -182 on the money line.
Spencer Arrighetti only went five innings for the Astros but gave up just two hits and two earned runs. He finished the game with five strikeouts but issued two walks. On the other side, Ross Stripling had a rough outing for the Athletics, taking the loss after going five innings and giving up four earned runs on four hits.
Alex Bregman hit the game’s only two home runs while going 3/3 with four RBIs and three runs scored. Kyle Tucker also had a two-hit game for Houston. Brent Rooker had a two-hit game for the Athletics.
The Athletics are 19-24 overall this season, and they have dropped two straight games heading into today’s road matchup vs. the Astros. In the AL West, they trail the Mariners by 4.5 games and are 3rd in the division. So far, they have gone just 4-7 in divisional games.
At home, the Athletics are 10-13 this season and 9-11 on the road. As the underdog, the Athletics are 15-23 this season compared to 4-1 as the favorite. Oakland’s overall series record is 6-6-1, and they have lost two straight series.
When the Oakland Athletics are on the road, they have a run line record of 11-9, but they have failed to cover the run line in two straight road games. They have been the underdog in 38 of their 38 games, and their average run differential in those games is -0.9 runs per game.
The Oakland Athletics have been on a seven-game over streak, and their games have averaged 8.8 runs per game this season. Their over/under record is 22-20, and their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs. When the over/under line has been set at 8.5 runs, their record is 5-4. Only 7.0% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs or higher this season.
JP Sears Gets The Start For The Athletics
Oakland is sending left-hander JP Sears to the mound today vs. the Astros. Sears has made eight starts this year and has a record of 3-2. His ERA for the season is 4.20, along with a WHIP of 1.13. Sears has pitched much better at home, with an ERA of 5.11 compared to 4.07 on the road. He is coming off a start in which he gave up four earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. Before that outing, he had not allowed an earned run in two straight starts.
Athletics Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Athletics are averaging 3.9 runs per game, which is 22nd in the league. However, they have been better at home, averaging 4.5 runs per game. As a team, they are batting just .223, which is 22nd in the league, and have the 12th best slugging percentage in the league. Oakland has been good at hitting home runs this season, as they are 4th in the league in homers.
Over his last seven games, Brent Rooker has been on fire, going 13/27 with two homers and seven RBIs. For the season, he is batting .303 with a team-high 10 homers. Shea Langeliers also has two homers in his last six games, and he comes into the game with 24 RBIs, which is 2nd on the team.
The Astros are 16-25 overall this season, and they are 6.5 games behind the Mariners for the AL West lead. Currently, they are 4th in the AL West, just behind the Athletics for the 3rd spot. Houston has gone 6-5 in divisional games this year.
Houston has won two straight games, and they are 5-5 across their last 10. So far, they are 8-12 at home compared to an 8-13 mark on the road. As the favorite, the Astros are 12-19 this year, and they are 4-6 when favored at home. Overall, they are 5-7-1 in series this year.
The Astros have been a run line bettor’s nightmare this season, as they are just 16-25 ATS. They are 8-12 ATS at home and 8-13 ATS on the road. They are currently on a two-game run line win streak and are 11-20 ATS as the favorite and 5-5 ATS as the underdog. Their average run margin in winning games is +4.8, while their average run margin in losing games is -3.9.
Despite the over/under line for today’s game being set at 8.5 runs, the Astros and their opponents have averaged 9.6 runs per game this season. Houston’s over/under record for the season is 16-23, and when the line has been set at 8.5 runs, the over has hit in 4 of their 9 games. Overall, 61.0% of their games have had higher over/under lines, and their over streak stands at 3 games.
Ronel Blanco Gets The Start For The Astros
Ronel Blanco gets the start for the Astros today and is coming off a strong outing vs. the Yankees. In that May 9th start, Blanco went 5 2/3 innings, picking up the win, and gave up just two earned runs. Looking back at his last four outings, Blanco has allowed two earned runs in three of those starts. So far, he has made five quality starts and has a record of 4-0 to go along with a 2.23 ERA. Blanco’s WHIP for the season is 1.01. Per nine innings, he is averaging 8.32 strikeouts and 4.06 walks.
Astros Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Astros are the league’s top-hitting team, with a team batting average of .263. They also have the fewest strikeouts in the league and are 5th in slugging percentage. Overall, they are averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 13th in the league. At home, they are averaging 5 runs per game, which is the 5th best mark in the league.
Kyle Tucker is the league’s home run leader and is also 7th in the league with 29 RBIs. His 13 homers are also the best mark on the Astros. Tucker is coming off a stretch in which he has gone 5/28 with five RBIs. Jeremy Peña is on a six-game hitting streak and is batting .338 for the season. In his last nine games, he has gone 13/34 with one homer and three RBIs.
Athletics vs Astros Prediction
Our prediction for today’s Astros vs. Athletics game is to take the over, with the line sitting at 8.5 runs. We actually have the Astros winning this one 6-5, meaning there is some room for you to take the over and still take the Astros to win.
If you’re looking for a money line pick, then you could look to parlay an Astros win with some other games, as the payout for an Astros win is sitting at -203. Looking at today’s starters, we have Ronel Blanco finishing with five strikeouts compared to JP Sears with just four.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:May 14, 2024 Astros, Athletics