The Oakland Athletics (10-37) are trying to avoid the sweep on Sunday afternoon as they  square off with the Houston Astros (26-19). This game will continue our MLB odds series with an Athletics-Astros prediction and pick while we let you know how to watch, as well.

The Athletics have actually been pitching well this series, which is something that usually is not their strong suit. Oakland has an ERA of 3.94 in the series as they have allowed just seven earned runs through 16 innings pitched. On the hitter side of things, Oakland has scored just three runs and they are batting .231 in the two games. Esteury Ruiz is 4-8 on the series with three stolen bases. Of their 15 hits, only two have gone for extra bases and those are doubles by Ryan Noda and Shea Langeliers.

The Astros have clearly been pitching well as they have held the Athletics to just three runs in two games. Only two of those runs were earned and in 18 innings pitched, Houston has struck out 21 and walked only five. In the two games, Houston's bullpen has thrown seven innings of no earned runs while allowing only five hits. As for their hitters, the Astros are batting .274 in this series. Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez each have three hits with a double and home run. Tucker leads the team with four RBI, as well.

James Kaprielian and Framber Valdez will get the start for their respective teams.

Here are the Athletics-Astros MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Athletics-Astros Odds

Oakland Athletics: +1.5 (+138)

Houston Astros: -1.5 (-166)

Over: 8.5 (-110)

Under: 8.5 (-110)

How To Watch Athletics vs. Astros

TV: NBC Sports California, AT&T SportsNet Southwest

Stream: MLB TV Subscription

Time: 2:10 PM ET/11:10 AM PT

*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Athletics Could Cover The Spread

The Athletics will need their bats to come alive in this game. Kaprielian has been known to give up some runs, so it is up to the hitters to get the job done in this game. Luckily, the Athletics hit over 50 points better against left-handed pitching. Valdez is coming off his shortest and worst outing of the season. He is hittable, the Athletics just need to stay patient. Valdez will rack up his strikeouts, but that is okay. Oakland needs to stick to the game plan and find a way to know him out of the game early. If they do this, the Athletics will cover the spread.

Why The Astros Could Cover The Spread

The Astros are facing a pitcher who is really struggling this season. Kaprielian has an ERA over 10 through seven appearances and four starts this season. In 23 innings pitched, he has given up 30 hits, 26 earned runs and he has walked 15. Kaprielian also has a WHIP of 1.96. He allows a lot of batters to reach base. This will benefit the Astros in a big way. In the last seven days, the Astros are batting .298 and have an on-base percentage of .352. Houston is finally starting to hit their stride and the Athletics will not be able to stop them. If the Astros can continue to play well, they will win this game and cover the spread.

Final Athletics-Astros Prediction & Pick

As with many other Athletics picks this season, they can not be trusted to cover the spread. With Kaprielian on the mound, their chances of covering got smaller. Expect Valdez and the Astros to come out and win this game by a good margin.

Final Athletics-Astros Prediction & Pick: Astros -1.5 (-166), Over 8.5 (-110)