Houston heads to Oakland Coliseum on Friday night to start a three-game series against the A’s, so we’re taking a closer look at this AL West showdown to get you the best Astros vs. Athletics betting pick and odds.  

The Astros opened as firm favorites on Bovada Sportsbook. They already swept a three-game series at Oakland Coliseum in 2022 and are undefeated in five straight meetings with the Athletics. 

The Astros won three series in a row                                       

The Houston Astros outlasted the Kansas City Royals 5-2 on Thursday afternoon to clinch a four-game home set and win their third consecutive series. It was the Astros’ ninth victory in ten games, as they improved to 54-28 on the season. 

Houston has scored four or more runs in seven straight outings while posting a .958 OPS. The Astros are slashing an excellent .257/.343/.490 with 28 home runs and 23 doubles in the last couple of weeks and 467 at-bats.  On the pitching side of things, they’ve compiled a sparkling 2.78 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and .169 opposing batting average over the last 14 games (11-3 record). 

Jose Urquidy will take the mound Friday and meet the A’s for the first time this season. He’s 7-3 with a 4.15 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 15 starts (80.1 innings) in 2022. Urquidy hasn’t been sharp for most of the season, but the 27-year-old righty has impressed in his previous three outings, allowing just three runs on seven hits across 19 frames while punching out 16. 

The Athletics just upset the Blue Jays             

The 28-56 Oakland Athletics are sitting bottom of the AL West, holding the worst record in the majors. Still, the A’s just won a three-game home series against the Toronto Blue Jays. After beating Toronto 5-1 as +230 dogs and 5-3 at +145 moneyline odds, Oakland suffered a tough 2-1 defeat in Wednesday’s closer. 

The rebuilding A’s are 5-9 in their previous 14 outings, scoring 47 runs on a poor .219/.281/.335 slash line. At least, they’ve registered a solid 3.55 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and .217 opposing batting average in that stretch. 

Paul Blackburn will toe the slab Friday and face the Astros for the second time in 2022. He was charged for a loss in a 5-1 home defeat against Houston on May 30, surrendering four earned runs on five hits through 6.2 innings of work. The 28-year-old right-hander is 6-3 with a firm 2.90 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 16 starts (87 frames) this season.  

Trends:

Houston: 

  • 9-1 in the last ten games overall 
  • 4-1 in the last five games on the road 
  • 9-3 in Jose Urquidy’s last 12 starts   

Oakland:

  • 0-5 in the last five games against Houston  
  • 3-7 in the last ten games overall 
  • 4-16 in the last 20 games at home  

Houston Astros vs. Oakland Athletics Pick 

The in-form Astros should dominate the Athletics, who have only six hits and .574 OPS in 37 at-bats against Jose Urquidy. On the other side, the current Astros lineup owns 15 hits and .715 OPS in 59 at-bats versus Paul Blackburn. 

Both bullpens have done a great job in the last ten days, so I’m expecting the Astros’ offense to make the difference. Houston’s relievers have a 1.78 ERA and 2.95 FIP in their last 25.1 innings pitched, while the Athletics ‘pen holds a 2.48 ERA and 3.11 FIP in its last 29 frames of work. 

Pick: Take Houston Astros                                          

The Total:

The under is 6-0 in Oakland’s last six outings and 2-1 in the first three meetings of the season between the A’s and Astros, while the total has gone over in five of Houston’s previous seven games overall. 

If both bullpens continue to pitch well, we shouldn’t get a high-scoring affair. You never know with Oakland’s relievers, and the Astros are swinging a hot bat at the moment, so the visitors to win would be my best Astros vs. Athletics pick. 

Pick: Go under