The Astros (55-44, 30-22 away) and Athletics (28-73, 15-38 home) square off in four of this AL West series. Luis Medina will take the mound for the Athletics against Hunter Brown for the Astros. See who I like to come out on top in this Houston Astros vs. Oakland Athletics showdown in Oakland.

HOUSTON ASTROS VS OAKLAND ATHLETICS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Houston Astros -1.5 Runs

This game will be played at Oakland Coliseum at 4:07 ET on Sunday, July 23rd.

WHY BET THE HOUSTON ASTROS:

  • Against the runline, the Athletics have gone just 2-3 in their last five home games.
  • As the road underdog, the Astros’ runline win streak stands at three games.
  • The Athletics’ are just 2-7 in Luis Medina’s nine starts.

CAN THE HOUSTON ASTROS PULL OUT A WIN AS ROAD FAVORITES?

Heading into today’s game, the Astros are 2nd in the AL West with an overall record of 55-44. When looking at their performance in their 30 series, Houston is 15-13-2. Against below .500 teams, the Astros are 27-27 while going 30-22 on the road and 25-22 at home.

The Astros will turn to starter Hunter Brown, who has a 6-7 record in 18 appearances this season. His ERA is 4.26, and he’s striking out 10.69 batters per nine innings. Additionally, his FIP stands at 3.49 and opponents have an on-base percentage of .318 against him.

Hunter Brown’s latest start for the Astros ended in a 4-3 defeat to the Rockies. Over 5 1/3 innings, Brown yielded four runs on six hits.

The Astros have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 7 home runs over their last five games. Compared to other clubs, this is 5th best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 11th in home runs and 13th in slugging percentage. Overall, Houston is averaging 4.7 runs per game (12th).

The Astros will be without their offensive powerhouse, Yordan Alvarez, who has been listed as out on the injury report. The slugger has been a major contributor to the team’s success this season, leading them in home runs with 17 and RBIs with 55.

WILL THE OAKLAND ATHLETICS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Through 101 games, the Athletics have a record of 28-73. This mark includes going 7-22-1 across their 30 series. Currently, Oakland is 5th in the AL West and have a 15-38 record at home while going 13-35 on the road. So far, the Athletics have gone 19-58 against teams with above .500 records.

Oakland’s Luis Medina has a 3-7 record and 5.79 ERA this season. On the road, his ERA is 8.82, but it drops to 4.49 when he pitches at home. His WHIP stands at 1.53, with opposing teams batting .249 against him and slugging .457.

Luis Medina earned a victory in his last start, as the Athletics defeated the Red Sox 3-0. He allowed just three hits over the course of the game, while not giving up a single run. It was a strong performance from Medina, who continues to impress this season.

This season, the Athletics are 30th in the league at 3.6 runs per game. Over their last five games, they have a combined batting average of .234 (16th) leading to 3.6 runs per contest. Overall, they are generating 3.3 walks per game compared to 9 strikeouts. Oakland’s on-base percentage of .301 has them 20th in the MLB.

Tony Kemp has been a bright spot for Oakland’s offense this season, boasting a .210 batting average and .302 slugging percentage. In the team’s last ten games, Kemp has been on fire, leading the Athletics in hits while batting .365.