The Houston Astros dropped their first two games of the season, but have since ripped off five straight wins, including sweeping the Boston Red Sox.
They now hit the road to take on the 1-5 Athletics, who are set to play in their season opener tonight.
Let’s dive into the odds and my best bet for tonight’s AL West showdown.
Astros vs. Athletics Odds, Run Line, and Total
Run Line
Astros -1.5 (+142)Athletics +1.5 (-172)
Moneyline
Astros -108Athletics -108
Total
OVER 10 (-102)UNDER 10 (-120)Astros vs. Athletics Probable PitchersHouston: Cristian Javier, RHP (0-0, 11.57 ERA)Athletics: Jeffrey Springs, LHP (0-0, 3.38 ERA)Astros vs. Athletics How to WatchDate: Friday, April 3Time: 9:40 p.m. ETVenue: Sutter Health Park How to Watch (TV): Space City Home Network 2, NBCSCA Astros record: 5-2Athletics record: 1-5Astros vs. Athletics Best Prop BetCristian Javier OVER 4.5 Strikeouts (-122)
If the Athletics’ strikeout numbers continue, the move for the foreseeable future may be to just bet the OVER on the strikeouts total for whichever pitcher is starting against them. The Athletics have struck out on 35.2% of their at-bats this season, the highest mark in baseball by 1.2%.
Astros vs. Athletics Prediction and Pick
On Day 89 of betting $100 every day for a year, I broke down why I’m backing the Astros tonight:
What happened to the Athletics’ offense that was supposed to be one of the best in baseball this season? There are some real signs this young lineup is going to regress this season, and things have been ugly to start the season. They have struck out on 35.2% of at-bats, have a batting average of .177, and have a wRC+ of 50, all of which are the worst marks in all of baseball.
Tonight, they’re a pick’em against the Astros, who lead all of MLB in wRC+ at 144. Unless I’m missing something, this is the biggest no-brainer bet on the board.
Pick: Astros -108 via FanDuel
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