Marcus Semien and the Oakland Athletics will be taking the field against their division rival Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park in a Wednesday showdown. The matchup will get going at 2:10 p.m. ET and fans looking to watch it can tune in to NBC Sports – California.
Oakland Athletics vs. Houston Astros Odds
Sportsbooks have Houston (-200) as the favorite over Oakland (+185). If you’re thinking this game’s total is going to go under 8.5 runs scored, then Vegas is offering even money odds (+100). Picking the over can return -120 odds. This game currently has a runline of Athletics +1.5 (-120) and Astros -1.5 (+100).
The Astros are 65-38 straight up (SU) and 53-49 against the spread (ATS). The team has gained 5.8 units for bettors taking the moneyline and 0.3 units ATS. The Athletics have gone 58-44 SU this year and are 54-47 against the spread. Overall, the club has accumulated 9.9 units for moneyline bettors and 4.5 units ATS.
Houston games have had an over/under record of 46-53-3 in 2019. Athletics games have gone over 49 times, gone under 49 times and pushed on three occasions.
Right-hander Chris Bassitt will get the start for the visiting Athletics. Bassitt is 7-4 with a 3.96 ERA and 83 strikeouts. He’s 0-0 with a 4.50 ERA against Houston this year.
The Astros are turning to righty Justin Verlander (12-4, 2.99 ERA), who has 172 strikeouts and 29 walks as well as a WHIP of 0.84. Verlander is 1-0 with eight strikeouts and a 1.13 ERA in one start against Oakland this year.
Oakland’s pitchers have allowed 4.3 runs per game and its starting pitchers own a 4.14 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 6.77 K/9. The bullpen has logged an ERA of 3.88, along with a K/9 of 8.79.
Athletics hitters have slashed .248/.323/.446 on their way to 5.2 runs scored per game in 2019, including 5.2 runs per game against divisional foes and 4.2 per game over the team’s last five contests (3-2 SU).
Shortstop Marcus Semien and outfielder Ramon Laureano continue to lead Oakland’s offense. Semien is hitting .267/.350/.453 with 15 home runs, 50 RBIs and 71 runs scored, while Laureano (.283/.333/.515) is up to 20 homers, 54 RBIs, 65 runs and 12 stolen bases.
In the other dugout, Houston’s pitchers have allowed 4.1 runs per game overall in 2019. Its starters have an ERA of 3.85, a WHIP of 1.09 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 10.4. The bullpen has a 3.77 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 9.7 K/9. In 46 divisional games, Astros starters have an ERA of 3.88 and the bullpen’s ERA is 3.40.
The Houston hitters are putting up 5.2 runs per contest, including 6.1 per game against divisional foes and 5.8 per game over their last five. The team has hit .279/.351/.558 over its last five games and is 4-1 SU during that span.
Outfielder Michael Brantley and first baseman Yuli Gurriel have paced the Astros’ offense this year. Brantley is slashing .330/.389/.527 with 15 home runs, 55 RBIs and 57 runs scored, while Gurriel’s line sits at .294/.328/.528 with 20 homers, 65 RBIs and 58 runs.
The Athletics have gained 0.6 units and are 39-36 ATS when facing a righty starter this season. The over has cashed in 35 of those games, compared to 38 that’ve gone under against right-handed starting pitchers. On the other hand, the Astros have lost 6.7 units and are 37-35 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher. The over’s hit in 35 of those games, as opposed to 35 which went under the total.
Athletics vs. Astros Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Astros, ATS Winner – Athletics, O/U – UNDER
Betting Notes
- The over has hit in four of Oakland’s last seven contests.
- Houston has posted 27.2 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 outings and 25.0 over its last five.
- The Athletics have hit 16 home runs in their last 10 games. The Astros have hit 21 over their last 10.
- The Athletics have a total OPS of .769 this season and an OPS of .756 against right-handed pitchers. The Astros’ OPS sits at .826 overall and .799 versus righties.
