The Houston Astros will take on the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night. It's time to continue our MLB odds series and make an Astros-Athletics prediction and pick.
These teams have pretty much had opposite seasons. The Astros, to no one's surprise, have been one of the best teams in the MLB this season. They are currently the owners of a 31-18 record, one of the best marks in the league and easily the best in their division. The Athletics, on the other hand, haven't had any sort of the same success. They're one of the worst teams in the league with a 20-31 record. Oakland is already 12 games back of first place, and it's likely that the deficit continues to increase throughout the season.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Astros-Athletics MLB odds.
MLB Odds: Astros-Athletics Odds
Houston Astros: -1.5 (+125)
Oakland Athletics: +1.5 (-150)
Over: 6.5 (-122)
Under: 6.5 (+100)
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Why The Astros Could Cover the Spread
The Astros will send out starting pitcher Cristian Javier in this contest. Javier has been nothing short of spectacular this season, earning a 2.43 ERA and a .97 WHIP on the year. Those numbers show just how good Javier has been, and now he has a matchup with one of the worst offenses in all of baseball. The Athletics rank dead last in the MLB in batting average, OBP, and slugging percentage while ranking second-to-last in the league in OPS. Javier should continue to pitch well against this awful Oakland lineup.
The Astros have the advantage of momentum as they head into this matchup. Houston has won six of their last nine matchups, with a fair amount of those victories coming by a wide margin. The Athletics have lost seven of their last ten contests, including three consecutive defeats to the lowly Texas Rangers. Houston has also only lost two games that Javier has started in. This looks like a slam-dunk spot for the Astros to continue their winning ways.
Why The Athletics Could Cover the Spread
Oakland will have their own ace on the mound in this game. Frankie Montas has been one of the best starting pitchers in the AL, earning himself a 3.28 ERA and a .99 WHIP. He's put together solid outings against good offensive teams throughout the year, as he only allowed one run in 13 total innings against the Tampa Bay Rays. Montas also made two good starts against the Los Angeles Angels, allowing only two runs over two appearances against LA. It's fair to expect Montas to continue his solid pitching, as his track record of success against good teams inspires a ton of confidence.
Home field advantage will certainly benefit the Athletics in this game. Montas has been a significantly better pitcher on his home turf, earning a lower ERA, and WHIP, while only giving up a .170 batting average to his opponents while playing in RingCentral Coliseum. Javier has been absolutely awful on the road, earning a 6.08 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP when he pitches anywhere but his home stadium.
Final Astros-Athletics Prediction & Pick
Neither side of the spread looks particularly appealing here. Javier has been awful on the road, and the Athletics have just been abysmal overall. Instead, the overlooks like the best pick. Houston should be able to tag Montas for two or three runs, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Athletics do the same to Javier.
Final Astros-Athletics Prediction & Pick: Over: 6.5 (-122)
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