Houston Astros vs. Oakland Athletics Betting Analysis & Prediction

AL West foes will square off in the second of a four-game series Friday as the Houston Astros (54-43) take on the Oakland Athletics (27-71).

Before you consider making your MLB picks, make sure to read ahead for a complete Astros vs Athletics betting analysis.

Houston Astros vs Oakland Athletics

Location of the game: Oakland Coliseum. Oakland, CA.

Date & Time: Friday, July 21. 9:40 pm ET.

How to watch: MLB.TV

The Astros vs Athletics betting analysis would not be complete without a look at recent scores. The Astros come into this one, having won five of their last 10 games. They are also 29-21 on the road this season.

They did pick up the win in the series opener Thursday by a score of 3-1 behind a strong effort from Astros’ starter J.P. France.

For the Athletics, they are 2-9 in their last 11 games. Unfortunately, at 27-72, the Athletics have the worst record in all of baseball. They are just 14-37 at Oakland Coliseum this season.

While the Astros are certainly in the postseason conversation, the Athletics are nowhere close. As it stands right now, the Athletics sit 32 games back of the Texas Rangers in the AL West.

As for the Astros, they sit in second in the division, four games back of the Rangers. If the season ended today, Houston would hold one of the Wild Card spots.

The Astros have dealt with injuries throughout the season, but despite the hit to the lineup and rotation, lefty Framber Valdez has consistently pitched like a Cy Young-caliber pitcher.

In 18 games, he is 7-6 with a 2.76 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and he has 129 strikeouts in 117.1 innings. He left his last outing with a calf issue, but he appears to be ready to go Friday.

Offensively, the Astros rank 12th in scoring, averaging 4.71 runs per game (5.22 on the road). With Yordan Alvarez out, Alex Bregman (14 HR, 60 RBI, 56 R) and Kyle Tucker (14 HR, 64 RBI, 17 SB) have led the way for the offense.

On paper, the Athletics are certainly not on the same level as Houston, but if starting pitcher JP Sears can pitch the way he is capable, there could be a pitching duel in Astros vs Athletic matchup.

In 19 games, he is just 1-6, but he has a respectable 3.99 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. Sears has also struck out 100 in 106 innings. In his last three outings, he has allowed just four earned runs over 18.2 innings.

The offense is where the Athletics really struggle. They rank dead last in scoring, averaging just 3.60 runs per game. Brent Rooker leads the team with 16 home runs and 44 runs batted in.

Looking at the Houston Astros vs Oakland Athletics series analysis, it is important to take a look at the injury updates. The Astros continue to be crippled with injuries this series as Jose Altuve (oblique), Yordan Alvarez (oblique), Michael Brantley (shoulder), and Jose Urquidy (shoulder) all remain on the injured list.

Both Alvarez and Urquidy are doing rehab assignments, with Alvarez expected to be the first one back. Still, neither are expected back by the end of this series.

For Oakland, they also have a long list of injuries, with some of the biggest ones being Ramon Laureano (hand), Ryan Noda (jaw), and James Kaprielian (shoulder).

Brent Rooker, Jonah Bride, and Shea Langeliers all had the night off on Thursday, but all are expected to be back in the lineup over the weekend.

Moneyline: As we examine the Astros vs Athletics game predictions and odds, the Astros come into this one as the heavy favorites despite playing on the road. They are -270 to win on the moneyline, while the Athletics sit at +220.

Spread: The spread sees Houston -1.5, with odds of -150. The Athletics have a spread of +1.5, with odds of +130.

Over/Under: The over/under for total runs is set at 7.5. The over on runs has odds of -115. The under 7.5 runs have odds of -105.

• Our Astros vs Athletics betting analysis is taking the Astros to both win and cover the -1.5 spread (-150) in this one.

If healthy, Valdez is one of the best pitchers in baseball, going against one of the worst offenses.

While the Astros might win this one easily, the overall scoring might be relatively low. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Sears at least minimize the damage in the loss, giving the under (-105) a good chance to hit.

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