Houston Astros (77-68) vs Oakland Athletics (64-82)
Game Info: Thursday, September 12, 2024 at 2:10 pm (Minute Maid Park)
Framber Valdez (14-6) (3.15) vs Mitch Spence (7-9) (4.42)
Betting Odds: Houston Astros -238 / Oakland Athletics +196 --- Over/Under: 7.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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In this article, we will formulate an Oakland Athletics vs Houston Astros prediction for this MLB game on Thursday, September 12th at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. To formulate this prediction for game three in the series, we will examine:
- The Athletics' recent form and recent player performance
- The Astros' recent form and recent play performance
- Recent Betting trends and streaks involving Oakland
- Recent Betting trends and streaks involving Houston
- Recent betting trends in games played between Oakland and Houston
- A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for Today’s Game between Oakland and Houston
Oakland Athletics Betting Preview
The Oakland Athletics are 64-82 this season and they have won three of their last five games. Oakland has won the first two games in this series by scores of 4-3 and 5-4. Prior to this series, the Athletics lost two out of three against the Tigers, split four games with the Mariners, and lost two out of three against the Rangers. Oakland is 5-6 in their last 11 games and they are fourth in the AL West.
The Oakland pitching staff has a 4.31 ERA, a 1.32 WHIP, and a .250 opponent batting average. The Athletics offense has scored 593 runs with a .234 batting average and a .303 on-base percentage. Brent Rooker is batting .299 with 35 home runs and 101 RBI’s for the Athletics this season.
Houston Astros Betting Preview
The Houston Astros are 77-68 this year and they have lost three games in a row. Houston has dropped the first two games in this series, with both losses coming by one run. Prior to this series, the Astros won two out of three against the Diamondbacks, lost all three against the Reds, and swept the Royals in four games. Houston is 2-6 in their last eight games and they are first in the AL West.
The Houston pitching staff has a 3.73 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and a .229 opponent batting average. The Astros' offense has scored 668 runs with a .261 batting average and a .320 on-base percentage. Yordan Alvarez is batting .313 with 32 home runs and 80 RBI’s for the Astros this season.
Starting Pitchers
The projected starting pitcher for Oakland is Mitch Spence, who is 7-9 with a 4.42 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP over 130.1 innings pitched this year. Spence has allowed two earned runs or fewer in three straight starts but did allow eight hits over 4.1 innings last time out. The projected starting pitcher for Houston is Framber Valdez, who is 14-6 with a 2.97 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP over 157.1 innings pitched this season. Valdez has allowed a total of three earned runs in his last three starts.
Why the Astros will beat the Athletics
- The Astros have won each of their last eight Thursday games against American League opponents.
- The Athletics have lost eight of their last nine-day games against AL West opponents following a road win.
- The Astros have covered the run line in eight of their last nine-day games against American League opponents that held a losing record.
- The Athletics have failed to cover the run line in five of their last six-day games against AL West opponents.
Total Runs Facts
- Eight of the Athletics' last nine road games after playing the previous day have gone OVER the total runs line.
- Each of the Astros' last four games after playing the previous day has gone OVER the total runs line.
Oakland Athletics vs Houston Astros Prediction
Houston comes into this matchup trying to avoid being swept, as they are trying to maintain their lead in the AL West. The Astros are 41-32 at home this year, while the Athletics are 28-43 on the road. Oakland has struggled on the road all season, but they are a scrappy team that has played pretty well over the last two months. Both of these pitchers have had success recently, but Valdez is on another level and has been one of the best in the MLB this season. Take the Astros -1.5 here.