Astros vs Athletics Odds
| Houston Astros Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Over/Under | Spread |
-210 | 9 -110o /-110u | -1.5 -105 |
| Oakland Athletics Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Over/Under | Spread |
+170 | 9 -110o /-110u | +1.5 -115 |
It's been pure domination from the Astros over the past three days, and they'll look to secure a four-game sweep over the rival Athletics in a series that could generate some positive momentum for Houston.
Astros vs Athletics odds for Thursday have the Astros installed as -210 moneyline favorites, with an over/under of 9 (-110/-110).
Here's the best way to bet this AL West clash. My Astros vs Athletics prediction on the run line is below.
Houston Astros
The Astros finished the first five weeks of the year as one of the worst teams in baseball, at 10-20. Since then, they have turned a corner and are looking to extend their winning streak to a season-long five games.
As baseball fans, we respect just how good Kyle Tucker truly is. Some may see his 182 wRC+ start as his breakout, but he posted wRC+ of 146, 129, and 140 over the past three years. Tucker being one of the elite hitters in baseball is nothing new.
Houston's top-four batters are terrifying to face — Jose Altuve (152 wRC+), Tucker (182 wRC+), Jeremy Pena (140 wRC+) and Yordan Alvarez (120 wRC+) put pressure on opposing starters quickly. None of those four strike out often, and all can hit the gaps with power. Plus, Alex Bregman is getting on track, hitting .370 with three home runs in the past seven games. He hit below .200 for the first month of the season, so getting the multi-time All-Star back to his regular form is a huge difference maker for Houston.
Things shift quickly in baseball. For instance, Thursday's starter for the Astros, Cristian Javier, was a trendy underdog Cy Young pick in 2023. One year later, he's the worst starter in Houston's rotation. Javier has a 4.01 ERA with a 5.08 FIP over 24 innings.
On the surface, his ERA isn't terrible. The real problem is that Javier's strikeout rate is a shockingly bad 6.57%, down from 8.50% last year and 11.57% two seasons ago. Another problem is Javier's inability to throw strikes. His walk percentage is up from 3.44% to 5.47% in 2024. Javier last pitched on May 11th and allowed seven runs, five hits and four walks in just 1 1/3 innings. This feels like a season-defining start for a pitcher who's goodwill within the organization could wear thin if things don't change quickly.
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are better than people thought. Of course, that isn't saying much as the A's had the lowest projected win total in Spring Training, but sitting at 19-25 and five games back of the AL West in mid-May is a true stunner.
However, the A's early success may be a mirage as the club has dropped nine of its past 10 games. The only recent win came in the most recent start for today's starter, Joey Estes.
The A's recent cold stretch can be attributed to their pitching woes. They have allowed seven or more runs in six of their past 10 games. The A's rotation has a brutal 4.92 ERA and 4.54 FIP this season. The injuries to Joe Boyle and Alex Wood have further exposed Oakland's poor organizational depth.
Estes, a rookie right hander, earned another start after holding the Mariners to two hits and one run over five innings in a win last Saturday. We'll see if Estes found some momentum, or if the inconsistent Mariners' offense made a poor pitcher look like prime Pedro Martinez.
The Athletics' offense has posted a 101 wRC+, which ranks 15th in MLB. After a rough finish last year, Brent Rooker is back to his prime form, which helped him gain an All-Star appearance in 2023. Rooker is hitting .298 with an OPS over 1.000 and a 188 wRC+.
Oakland's bats have gone silent and accounted for just three total runs in the past three games. The Astros' rotation has a found a good formula for slowing down the A's bats — striking out at least nine in all three games.
Since May 1st, the Athletics actually lead baseball with a 130 wRC+, yes, they're even ahead of the Dodgers. The past three games have been rough on the bats, but the A's will look to get back on track in today's series finale.
Astros vs. Athletics
Betting Pick & Prediction
The Astros are looking to secure the sweep, but the moneyline is incredibly juiced at -215. I never recommend taking a moneyline over -200, so I'll pivot to taking the Astros run line (-1.5) at -105.
Pick: Astros -1.5
