Houston Astros vs Oakland Athletics Prediction, 5/26/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Houston Astros vs Oakland Athletics

Date: Friday, May 26, 2023

Location: Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, CA

TV: NBC Sports California

Odds/Point Spread: Houston (-260) Oakland (+220)

The Oakland Athletics (10-41) will play the Houston Astros (28-21) at Oakland Coliseum on Friday. The odds on this game have Houston at -260 while Oakland is sitting at +220. The over/under has been set at 8.5. The pitchers who are expected to start are Hunter Brown and James Kaprielian.

As a team, the Houston Astros are putting up 4.4 runs per game, which ranks them 17th in MLB. They have accumulated 213 runs and hold an on-base percentage of .315. The Astros have tallied 82 two-baggers as a unit and have knocked 45 baseballs out of the park. They have accounted for 204 runs batted in as well as 399 hits over the course of the season, while their average at the plate is .244. Houston has a slugging % of .381 and have been called out on strikes 393 times, while drawing a walk on 153 occasions.

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Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 3.54 and their pitching staff has a team WHIP of 1.19. Astros pitchers have relinquished 52 home runs in addition to 175 total runs (1st in the league). Houston has relinquished 382 base knocks (7.9 per 9 innings) as well as 156 earned runs. The Astros have a team ERA of 3.23 this season (1st in the league), and the staff has rung up 471 batters. They have walked 133 opposing batters and their FIP sits at 3.71 as a unit this season.

The Astros relief pitchers have a save percentage of 72.2% and has come into the game in 40 save situations. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 39 runners for the year with 23.1% of them crossed the plate. Astros relief pitchers have stepped onto the hill with runners on base 23 times in addition to having 41 appearances in high leverage situations. The Astros have sent 151 relievers to the hill over the course of the season. The relievers have 21 holds so far this year (27th in baseball). They have compiled 13 saves on the year and have blown 5 of 18 chances to get a save.

The Astros have transformed 69.4% of balls hit into play into outs out of 3,912 innings on the diamond, ranking them 16th in pro baseball. The Houston Astros have earned 1,304 putouts for the season, as well as 403 assists and 19 errors. Their fielding percentage sits at .989 which is 6th in MLB, and have accumulated 41 double plays.

Brown has thrown 71 innings and has racked up 78 strikeouts thus far in his career. His earned run average is 2.54 (20 earned runs allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.211. He has conceded 62 hits (7.9 hits per nine innings) and has had 24 free passes. Brown (6-1 win-loss mark in his career) sits with a FIP of 2.77 and he has gone up against 289 opposing hitters in the major leagues.

The Oakland Athletics hold a team OBP of .302 as well as a team batting average of .225 on the season. They have been called out on strikes on 481 occasions (2nd in MLB) and are sitting with 383 base hits. Oakland has compiled 53 long balls for the season to go along with 175 RBIs. The Athletics have a team slugging percentage of .364 and they are scoring 3.55 runs per game (29th in MLB). They have 67 doubles, while walking 166 times and notching 181 runs.

The Oakland pitching staff have given up 364 runs so far this year while holding a team ERA of 6.95 (345 earned runs given up). They have given up 86 homers and they surrender 7.33 runs per 9 innings (30th in the league). The Athletics are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.678 in addition to having a FIP of 5.95 as a squad over the course of the season. Their K/BB ratio comes in at 7.80 (387 strikeouts vs 248 bases on balls). They rank 30th in MLB as a staff in total hits given up with 502.

Sitting with 26 save situations, the Athletics have earned 12 holds in addition to 9 blown saves. Oakland has called on relievers to step onto the mound in 13 save chances and they have walked away with 4 saves. Their relief pitchers have taken the field 58 times in high leverage situations and on 64 occasions with runners on. Oakland relievers have an inherited score percentage of 40.6% out of their 101 inherited runners. They sit at 30th in baseball with a save percentage of 30.8%, and they have dispatched 174 relief pitchers to the hill this year.

Out of their 4,023 innings played, the Athletics are sitting with a defensive efficiency of 67.2% (27th in the majors). The Oakland Athletics have turned 36 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .982 (27th in baseball). The Athletics have racked up 392 assists, 32 errors and have amassed 1,341 putouts over the course of the season.

Kaprielian (13-18 mark in his career) has a 4.64 ERA and has given up 8.3 hits per 9 innings. He has a K/BB ratio of 2.11 and he has gone up against 1,232 opposing hitters in his pro baseball career. He has conceded 147 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.347 and a FIP of 4.8. During his MLB career, Kaprielian has conceded 263 hits while he has tallied 255 strikeouts in 285 innings.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Oakland (+220)

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