It doesn’t matter what sport you talk about; every team or individual athlete always wants the opportunity to play against the best that their sport has to offer. It’s why we so often see the underdog challenger rise up and give it their very best when they go up against the very best. It certainly makes for a fun viewing experience, and this is especially true when the underdog is on a run of form that sees them emerge as a potential challenger to the big dog. That is the scenario that we are looking at this weekend in Oakland, as the A’s welcome in the Houston Astros for a huge AL West Division battle.
The Houston Astros are just a couple of years removed from winning the World Series and are currently playing at a level that suggests they could be heading back there again. The Oakland A’s have a lot of ground to make up on Houston, but they have been playing great baseball of late and will feel confident heading into this weekend. Houston are favored by 1 ½ in the Friday game, with the run total set at 8 ½.
Astros vs Athletics MLB Betting Odds, Preview & Prediction
- When: Friday, May 31 at 10:07 PM EST
- Where: Alameda Coliseum, Oakland
- TV:
- Radio: Houston / Oakland
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
- Starting Pitchers: Peacock Vs Fiers
- MLB Odds: Astros -1.5 (+125)
Why bet on the Houston Astros?
When the Astros won the World Series a couple of years ago, there were a lot of people who thought that we might be on the brink of a dynasty. Houston were in the postseason again last year, but they ran into a Boston Red Sox team that was about as dominant as it gets. There is still a lot of baseball to be played, but it has to be said that the Astros once again look like a legitimate challenger.
They are 37-20 on the season and have already built up a 7 ½ game lead in the AL West. They will be looking to increase that lead this weekend against the surging A’s, a team that they have taken 4 games out of 5 from this season. The Astros are just 11-13 ATS as a road favorite. They will send Brad Peacock (5-2, 3.19 ERA) to the mound on Friday.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Runs: 5.18
- Hits: 9.19
- Walks: 3.68
- Strike Outs: 7.00
- Runs: 3.56
- Hits: 6.79
- Walks: 2.56
- Strike Outs: 9.88
Why bet on the Oakland A’s?
It wasn’t so very long ago that the A’s were sitting on the bottom of the AL West, but an 8-game win streak saw them charge their way out of the cellar and up into second. They have cooled off a little now, losing back to back games to the Angels ahead of this series, but you still have to like how well they have been playing of late.
With their solid run of form, the A’s are now 6 games above .500 at 18-12 SU in their own ballpark and have covered the spread in 7 of their last 10 games overall. They have been a nice little bet as a home dog this season, going 5-2 ATS in those outings. They will have Mike Fiers (4-3, 5.00 ERA) on the mound for this one.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Runs: 4.96
- Hits: 8.50
- Walks: 3.43
- Strike Outs: 7.66
- Runs: 4.45
- Hits: 8.21
- Walks: 3.54
- Strike Outs: 8.09
Astros vs Athletics MLB Betting Trends
- Houston are 15-5 SU in their last 20 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Houston’s last 14 games
- Oakland are 10-2 SU in their last 12 games
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oakland’s last 5 games
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction for Astros vs Athletics
While the A’s are indeed on a very decent run of form, the reality is that they have failed to measure up when going head to head with the Astros this season. I like Houston to get this weekend series off to a comfortable winning start.
Houston Astros 5 Oakland A’s 1
