Oakland Athletics vs Houston Astros Prediction, 5/20/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Oakland Athletics vs Houston Astros

Date: Saturday, May 20, 2023

Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX

TV: AT&T SportsNet Southwest

Odds/Point Spread: Oakland (+260) Houston (-315)

The Houston Astros (24-19) welcome the Oakland Athletics (10-35) at Minute Maid Park on Saturday. The moneyline on this contest has Oakland at +260 while Houston opens at -315. The over/under comes in at 9. The pitchers who are expected to start are JP Sears and Hunter Brown.

Oakland has a slugging % of .383 and have been rung up 424 times, while taking a walk on 156 occasions. They have amassed 167 RBI's and 347 base knocks for the season, and their team batting average comes in at .229. The Athletics have accounted for 62 two-baggers as a unit and have hit 53 balls out of the stadium. They have earned a total of 173 runs scored and hold an OBP of .311. As a team, the Oakland Athletics are knocking in 3.8 runs/g, which puts them at 27th in baseball.

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The Athletics have compiled a team earned run average of 7.13 over the course of the season (30th in MLB), and their staff has struck out 342 hitters. Athletics pitchers have allowed 79 long balls and also 334 runs in total (30th in MLB). They have walked 219 opposing batters and their FIP sits at 6.05 as a team this year. Oakland has surrendered 451 hits (10.2 per 9 innings) as well as 316 earned runs. Their strikeout to walk ratio is 1.56 and their pitching staff has recorded a WHIP of 1.68.

Athletics pitchers have entered the contest with opponents on base 60 times and also have had 56 appearances in high leverage situations. The relievers have a total of 12 holds for the season (29th in MLB). The Athletics bullpen have a save percentage of 30.8% and has entered the game in 26 save situations. They have earned 4 saves on the year and have not converted 9 out of their 13 chances to save the game. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 93 runners on the season with 44.1% of those players crossed the plate. The Athletics have dispatched 156 relief pitchers to the hill so far this season.

The Oakland Athletics have earned a total of 1,197 putouts so far this season, as well as 351 assists and 30 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding steady at .981 which puts them in 28th in professional baseball, and have 32 double plays. The Athletics have turned 67.2% of balls in play into outs in their 3,591 innings, ranking them 26th in MLB.

Sears has taken the hill for 112 frames and is sitting with 95 K's during his career. Sears (6-6 career win-loss record) has earned a FIP of 4.70 while he has faced 467 hitters in the majors. His earned run average is 4.39 (55 ER's allowed) and his WHIP is 1.243. He has allowed 108 hits (8.6 hits per 9 innings) and has 32 walks.

The Astros hold a team SLG% of .377 and they tally 4.44 runs per outing (15th in the league). They have tallied 72 two-baggers, while walking 127 times as well as notching 191 runs. Houston is sitting with 38 HRs on the year as well as 184 runs batted in. They have been rung up on 351 instances (25th in the league) and have earned 353 base knocks. The Houston Astros hold an OBP of .312 and a batting average of .244 this season.

The Astros have a WHIP of 1.219 in addition to having a FIP of 3.79 as a pitching staff so far this season. Their K/BB ratio sits at 9.80 (417 strikeouts against 123 free passes). They are sitting at 7th in MLB as a pitching staff in total hits allowed with 343. They have surrendered 46 dingers and they relinquish 3.77 runs per 9 innings (3rd in MLB). The Houston pitching staff have surrendered 160 runs so far this year while holding an ERA of 3.37 (143 earned runs conceded).

Sitting with 36 save situations, the Astros have compiled 18 holds and also 5 blown saves. Houston has called on relief pitchers to step onto the mound in 17 save chances and they have converted 12 saves. Their relief pitchers have taken the field 38 times in high leverage situations in addition to 22 occasions with runners on base. Houston relief pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 23.7% of 38 inherited runners. They are currently ranked 6th in baseball holding a save rate of 70.6%, and they have sent 138 relievers onto the field so far this year.

The Houston Astros have turned 37 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .990 (5th in professional baseball). The Astros have racked up 352 assists, 15 errors and are sitting with 1,148 putouts for the season. In 3,444 innings on the field, the Astros have a defensive efficiency of 68.9% (16th in professional baseball).

Brown (6-1 career mark) has earned a 2.63 ERA while conceding 7.9 hits per 9 innings. He has a K/BB ratio of 2.88 and he has gone up against 267 opposing batters in his MLB career. He has given up a total of 19 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.246 and being the owner of a FIP of 3.0. During his pro baseball career, Brown has given up 57 base hits while he has earned 69 strikeouts in 65 innings pitched.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Oakland (+260)

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