Oakland Athletics vs Houston Astros Prediction, 9/15/2022 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Oakland Athletics vs Houston Astros

Date: Thursday, September 15, 2022

Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX

TV: AT&T SportsNet Southwest

The Houston Astros (92-50) welcome the Oakland Athletics (51-91) at Minute Maid Park on Thursday. The pitchers expected to start will be James Kaprielian and Lance McCullers Jr.

As a squad, the Oakland Athletics are notching 3.5 runs per game, which puts them at 29th in MLB. They have accounted for 493 runs scored while holding a team on-base percentage of .281. The Athletics have recorded 221 doubles as a squad and have hit 120 balls out of the park. They have tallied 465 RBI's as well as 1,011 hits so far this year, while their average at the plate is sitting at .217. Oakland owns a slugging percentage of .346 and have been rung up 1,206 times, while drawing a walk on 369 occasions.

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The Athletics hold a team earned run average of 4.49 on the campaign (25th in the league), and the staff has rung up 1,048 hitters. Their pitching staff has walked 452 opposing hitters and their FIP is 4.41 as a unit this year. They have a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.32 and the pitching staff has recorded a WHIP of 1.33. Athletics pitchers have given up 168 home runs in addition to 671 runs in total (23rd in baseball).

Athletics relief pitchers have entered the game with runners on 163 times as well as having 148 appearances in high leverage situations. The bullpen have a total of 97 holds over the course of the season (2nd in baseball). The Athletics relief pitchers have a save percentage of 55.8% and has stepped onto the mound in 151 save situations. They have 29 saves this year and have not converted 23 of their 52 chances to get a save. The relief pitchers have inherited 233 base runners for the year with 29.2% of them earned a run for their team. The Athletics have sent 469 relief pitchers to the mound this season.

The Athletics have turned 69.9% of baseballs in play into outs out of their 11,190 innings on the diamond, which has them ranked 13th in MLB. The Oakland Athletics have earned a total of 3,730 putouts for the season, in addition to 1,272 assists and 80 errors. Their fielding rate is currently at .984 which has them ranked 20th in the majors, and have a total of 115 double plays.

Kaprielian has pitched in 232 innings and is sitting with 203 punch outs in his pro baseball career. Kaprielian (11-14 record in his career) is the owner of a FIP of 4.83 while he has gone up against 998 batters in the major leagues. His earned run average is 4.46 (115 earned runs allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.323. He has surrendered 212 base hits (8.2 hits per nine innings) and has had 95 free passes.

The Astros hold a slugging % of .421 and they earn 4.54 runs per contest (9th in the league). They have 247 two-baggers, while taking a walk 479 times and notching 645 runs. Houston has recorded 186 home runs for the season to go along with 625 runs batted in. They have been rung up on 1,050 occasions (28th in the league) and have earned 1,168 base hits. The Houston Astros have recorded a team on-base percentage of .320 as well as a team batting average of .246 for the season.

The Astros hold a team WHIP of 1.100 and are the owners of a FIP of 3.38 as a pitching staff on the campaign. They currently have a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.21 (1,297 strikeouts against 404 free passes). They rank 2nd in MLB as a staff in total hits surrendered with 987. They have surrendered 119 home runs and they surrender 3.28 runs per 9 innings (2nd in baseball). The Houston pitching staff have given up 461 runs over the course of the season while having a team ERA of 2.95 (414 earned runs relinquished).

Houston has called on relievers to enter the game in 59 save chances and they have tallied 45 saves. They rank 2nd in baseball with a save rate of 76.3%, and they have dispatched 414 relievers onto the field this season. Their relief pitchers have come in 142 times in high leverage situations and on 91 occasions with runners on. Houston bullpen pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 28.2% of 131 inherited base runners. Sitting with 147 save situations, the Astros have earned 88 holds in addition to 14 blown saves.

In 11,217 innings on the diamond, the Astros have a defensive efficiency of 72.0% (2nd in pro baseball). The Houston Astros have turned 107 double plays and have a fielding percentage of .987 (7th in pro baseball). The Astros have 1,103 assists, 64 errors and are sitting with 3,739 putouts this season.

Thus far in his career, McCullers has conceded 589 hits while he has accumulated 776 strikeouts in 699 innings. McCullers (48-31 record in his career) has earned a 3.51 earned run average while allowing 7.6 hits per 9 innings. He has given up a total of 273 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.255 and being the owner of a FIP of 3.4. His K/BB ratio is 2.69 and he has gone up against 2,942 batters so far in his pro baseball career.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Houston

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