The Oakland Athletics host the Houston Astros for two of this 3-game series! It's time to continue our MLB odds series with an Astros-Athletics prediction and pick.
The A's stole Game 1 at home after taking the bats to Astros' starter Jake Odorizzi. The right-hander allowed six runs off of seven hits in five innings. That was the worst outing from an Astros starter since July 4 when Odorizzi himself allowed five runs to the Kansas City Royals. Every other starter in the rotation is pitching lights out this season and Odorizzi had been up until July. The A's are still struggling and are one of the worst teams in baseball. The Astros should not have trouble getting back into this series.
Here are the Astros-Athletics MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Astros-Athletics Odds
Houston Astros: -1.5 (+106)
Oakland Athletics: +1.5 (-128)
Over: 6.5 (-124)
Under: 6.5 (+102)
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Why The Astros Could Cover The Spread
Starting for the Astros is right-hander Luis Garcia The 25-year-old has been excellent this season with an (8-5) record and 3.65 ERA in 93.2 innings. He pitches even better on the road with a 2.25 ERA. Garcia pitched well against the New York Yankees in his last outing allowing just two runs off of three hits in five innings. He allowed just one run and one hit against the Los Angeles Angels back on July 12. If Garcia is on his game then the Astros will cover this spread.
The Astros tried to come from behind last night and almost did. Down 6-1, they scored four of the final five runs of the game to lose by just two runs. The lineup is missing Michael Brantley but once he returns then they should be as healthy as they can pretty much be. Look for Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, and Yordan Alvarez to get the scoring going for the Astros.
This is one of the best teams in baseball and they could get even better before the trade deadline. The rotation is already one of the best in the game and the lineup continues to put up good numbers as well. The Astros are a great bet each time they take the field, no matter who they are facing.
Why The Athletics Could Cover The Spread
Toeing the slab for the A's is their top starter Frankie Montas. Montas is (3-9) on the year with a 3.16 ERA in 99.2 innings this season. Montas continues to shine despite the team's struggles. The team won his last start against the Detroit Tigers but only pitched three innings allowing just two hits. In the game prior, he pitched just one inning against the Seattle Mariners. The last time he pitched a regular start was June 28 against the Yankees where he allowed two runs in six innings. It's unclear how far he will go in this game but it's safe to say the Athletics need him to pitch a quality start to have a chance.
The A's saw their offense come alive early in the game against the Astros last night. They will need to have the same approach as they must try and take Garcia out as early as possible. If they can force an early bullpen day in Game 2 then that can benefit them for a chance to possibly sweep the AL West leaders.
However, the lineup has been inconsistent all year. They don't get the same production game after game so it's hard to know what will happen tonight. Nobody in the lineup has a respectable batting average so they will hope that Garcia doesn't have his stuff in this one.
Final Astros-Athletics Prediction & Pick
This won't be an easy game for the A's to cover despite having Montas on the mound. The Astros are elite and will likely cover this spread on the road in Game 2.
Final Astros-Athletics Prediction & Pick: Astros -1.5 (+106)
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