Oakland Athletics (38-61) vs Houston Astros (51-46)
Game Info: Monday, July 22, 2024 at 9:40 pm (Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum)
The Line: Betting Odds: Oakland Athletics +128 / Houston Astros -152 — Over/Under: 8.5
The Houston Astros and the Oakland A’s meet Monday in MLB action from the Oakland Coliseum. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Houston Astros vs. Oakland A’s prediction.
Starting Pitching Matchup
The Houston Astros will start Spencer Arrighetti here and Arrighetti is 4-7 with a 5.63 ERA and 93 strikeouts this season. In his career, Arrighetti is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA and 12 strikeouts against Oakland. Hogan Harris will get the start for Oakland here and is 1-3 with a 3.40 ERA and 35 strikeouts this season. This will be Harris’ second career start against Houston.
Houston Astros Recap
The Houston Astros will be looking to bounce back after failing to complete the sweep of the Seattle Mariners thanks to a 6-4 loss in Sunday’s series finale. Despite the loss, the Astros kept the ball rolling, starting the second half on a high note after losing their last series before the all-star break against the Texas Rangers.
Astros Looking To Pull Away In AL West Race
Jose Altuve has 121 hits and a .304 batting average with 14 home runs, 44 RBIs and 18 doubles while Kyle Tucker has 19 homers with 11 doubles and 40 RBIs. Yordan Alvarez also has 20 homers with 54 RBIs and 22 doubles while Altuve has the Astros’ team lead with 15 stolen bases so far this season. Jeremy Pena also has 102 hits and a .274 batting average as well as 11 stolen bases of his own this season. Alex Bregman’s added 12 homers and 47 RBIs also.
Why the Houston Astros will win
- The Astros have won each of their last six night games following a loss.
- The Athletics have lost 18 of their last 22 home games against AL West opponents that held a winning record.
- The Astros have covered the run line in each of their last eight night games against American League opponents.
- The Athletics have failed to cover the run line in eight of their last nine Monday night games as underdogs against American League opponents.
Oakland A’s Recap
The Oakland A’s come into this series looking to play spoiler despite falling flat in their series finale against the Angels, falling short against the Halos thanks to an 8-5 loss in Sunday’s matchup. The A’s still managed to win the series, bookending the all-star break with a series win over the Phillies prior to the break.
A’s Trying To Get Out Of AL West Basement
Brent Rooker leads the A’s with 67 RBIs along with 22 home runs this season while Abraham Toro has 72 hits and 24 RBIs. JJ Bleday has a team-high 28 doubles, 4 triples, 84 hits and 35 RBIs and Toro has a .256 batting average. Rooker also has the unfortunate title of leading strikeout bat with 114 K’s at the dish this season, alongside Zack Gelof, who has 112 strikeouts. Shea Langeliers has also chipped in 18 home runs and 52 RBIs.
Why the Oakland Athletics will win
- The Athletics have won five of their last six games as underdogs following a loss.
- The Astros have lost each of their last five Monday night games as road favorites against AL West opponents.
- The Athletics have covered the run line in each of their last six night games at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum following a loss.
- The Astros have failed to cover the run line in 10 of their last 11 Monday games as favorites against AL West opponents.
Astros vs. A’s Prediction
I’m on the Astros here. I know the A’s have a lot of value associated with them as of late, but the Astros are on a warpath for an AL West title after being written off by a lot of folks after their really slow start to the year and Arrighetti’s still had flashes of solid stuff here and there. We’re getting a reasonable price with the Astros and against Oakland, that’s not something you’ll get often. There will be spots to take shots on the A’s, I just don’t think this is one of them. Give me Houston.