The series of the weekend in MLB is clearly Houston visiting Oakland as the rampaging A’s could potentially take over the AL West lead from the defending division and World Series champions. Looks to be a great pitching matchup at Mybookie Sportsbook in Friday’s opener.
The A’s are batting .231 with 58 home runs and an average of 3.91 runs per game at home compared to .266 with a Major League-leading 104 home runs and an average of 5.55 runs per game on the road.
Oakland RHP Edwin Jackson (4-2, 2.48) Jackson has pitched lights-out in his last three starts, allowing no earned runs and going 3-0 in that span. He pitched 7 1/3 shutout innings on Saturday against the Angels, his longest start of the season.
Jackson’s ERA is the fourth-lowest in the American League since he joined Oakland on June 25. Jackson was signed by the A’s to a minor league contract June 6 after he was released by the Nationals organization.
Jackson’s three-game winning streak is his longest since June 30-July 11, 2013 when he also won three in a row. Jackson 2-2 with a 4.17 ERA (41.0 IP, 38 h, 19 r, 19 er, 10 bb, 30 so, 5 hr) in eight career appearances, including seven starts, against Houston. He last faced the Astros last year on Aug. 23 at Houston, a loss for Washington (6.0 IP, 6 h, 2 r, 2 er, 3 bb, 1 so).
How to Bet Astros vs Athletics MLB Lines & Game Info
…how? @TeamCJCorrea pic.twitter.com/OjHKmrCYqo
— Houston Astros (@astros) 16 de agosto de 2018
- When: Friday, 10:05 PM ET
- Where: Oakland Coliseum
- Probable pitchers (away/home): Charlie Morton/Edwin Jackson
- TV: MLB Network
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
- Radio: TuneIn
- MLB Lines: Houston Astros -150 / Oakland Athletics +130 (Total 8)
Blue Jays at Yankees MLB Odds & Pick – August 17th
Why Bet on Houston?
The Astros ended a five-game losing streak on Wednesday night in style with a 12-1 home win over Colorado. Evan Gattis and Tyler White hit two homers each, and Yuli Gurriel added a two-run shot. Houston’s five home runs were a season high, and the run total was more than the Astros managed in their last four games combined. It was the Astros’ first home win since July 14. Gattis had been 0-for-19 since his last hit on Aug. 1, which has cost him some playing time of late. Gattis is the Astros’ leader with 23 homers and he’s just four RBI behind Alex Bregman for the team lead. More good news potentially on Friday as OF George Springer (sprained left thumb) will come off the disabled list when he’s eligible, barring any setbacks. Springer, a two-time All-Star who was named the MVP of last year’s World Series, is hitting .250 with 19 home runs and 58 RBIs in 109 games. In fact, it looks like a lock that Houston will activate Springer because the team optioned OF Derek Fisher to Triple-A Fresno. It’s Cy Young candidate Charlie Morton (12-3, 2.88) on the mound. Morton allowed three runs on seven hits, one walk, and one hit batsman while striking out four over six innings in Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Mariners. Morton struggled in his six innings, allowing leadoff batters to reach base four times. Three double-plays minimized potential damage, but the Mariners were able to strike for three runs in the fourth inning and that was enough. Morton has thrown at least six innings in each of his previous four starts, going 1-1 with a 2.52 ERA. He’s 4-1 with a 2.73 ERA in 10 road starts this year, including eight quality starts. His 171 strikeouts this year are a career high.Why Bet on Oakland?
The A’s are just two back in the division. They had a four-game winning streak snapped Wednesday in a 2-0 12-inning loss to Seattle. A’s third baseman Matt Chapman doubled in the sixth to extend his hitting streak to a career-best 13 games. Chapman has also reached safely in 29 straight, the longest active streak in the AL. The A’s never got to closer Blake Treinen in that one, but he has been stellar. The 30-year-old right-hander has not allowed a run since July 21 and ranks third in the American League with 32 saves. He owns a microscopic 0.89 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 83/19 K/BB ratio over 61 innings. Oakland has won 66 straight games when leading after seven innings, which matches the longest streak in Athletics history (July 21, 1927-June 23, 1928). The A’s are the only team in the majors this year that has not lost a game when leading after seven innings (50-0). Oakland last lost when leading after seven innings on Sept. 2, 2017, at Texas. The last team to go undefeated when leading after seven innings is the 2012 Orioles (74-0).
The A’s are batting .231 with 58 home runs and an average of 3.91 runs per game at home compared to .266 with a Major League-leading 104 home runs and an average of 5.55 runs per game on the road.
Oakland RHP Edwin Jackson (4-2, 2.48) Jackson has pitched lights-out in his last three starts, allowing no earned runs and going 3-0 in that span. He pitched 7 1/3 shutout innings on Saturday against the Angels, his longest start of the season.
Jackson’s ERA is the fourth-lowest in the American League since he joined Oakland on June 25. Jackson was signed by the A’s to a minor league contract June 6 after he was released by the Nationals organization.
Jackson’s three-game winning streak is his longest since June 30-July 11, 2013 when he also won three in a row. Jackson 2-2 with a 4.17 ERA (41.0 IP, 38 h, 19 r, 19 er, 10 bb, 30 so, 5 hr) in eight career appearances, including seven starts, against Houston. He last faced the Astros last year on Aug. 23 at Houston, a loss for Washington (6.0 IP, 6 h, 2 r, 2 er, 3 bb, 1 so).
Latest MLB Betting Trends
- Athletics are 11-2 in their last 13 games following a loss
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- The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Oakland’s last 11 games
