MLB Free Picks: Oakland Vs Houston

The Texas Rangers are shaping up to be the cream of the AL West, but they are also a team with some real injury concern at the moment. They have been in a bit of a rut over the past couple of weeks, which has opened the door a crack for the chasing teams. The Houston Astros are looking like the team most likely to take advantage of that, and they can close the gap a little if they can get something out of the 4-game series with the Oakland Athletics. As it stands at the moment, the Rangers still have a 6.5 game lead on the Astros, and Houston did not help their cause much by losing the first game of the series versus Oakland. The sportsbook odds should see the Astros as a favorite for this game, but as the A’s proved in the opening game here, this is by no means a slam dunk.

MLB Free Picks: Oakland Athletics Vs Houston Astros

When: Saturday, July 9 at 4:10 PM EST Where: Minute Maid Park, Houston Starting Pitchers: Kendall Graveman Vs Lace McCullers TV: CSNCA and ROOTSW Radio: 95.7 FM The Game and KBME 790 MLB Odds: TBA    

Why bet on the Oakland Athletics

Other than Rich Hill, the Oakland Athletics (37-49) are not getting the most out of their starting pitchers. It’s actually not that good all around for the A’s, as they are struggling on both offense and defense. They are near the bottom of the league in runs scored and team ERA, which is not a combination that tends to breed a lot of success. The last time the A’s paid a visit to Houston, they were swept in 3 games, so they are already ahead of the game this time around. Oakland have actually been better on the road than they have been at home this season, but they are still 3 games under .500 away from home. Kendall Graveman (4-6, 4.57 ERA) will start for the A’s on Saturday.

Why bet on the Houston Astros

Despite losing the first game of this series, the Houston Astros (46-40) are still a very respectable 7-3 in their last 10 games. While the Astros are not really lighting things up on offense, they have team pitching that is in the top 10 in the league. That has allowed them to put together a run differential of +29, and has hauled them to within 6.5 games of the division leading Texas Rangers. They are also right among the leading pack in the AL Wild Card race, although it’s probably a little too early to start taking a serious look at that picture. Lance McCullers (4-2, 3.57 ERA) is expected to get the start for the Astros on Saturday night.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

The A’s got the win in the opening game with their ace on the mound, but it should all be downhill from there. I think that there is a very good chance that the Astros could win the remaining games in this series, which means they get the win on Saturday night.

Oakland Athletics 3 Houston Astros 5