Oakland Athletics vs Houston Astros Prediction, 9/13/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Oakland Athletics vs Houston Astros

Date: Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX

TV: AT&T SportsNet Southwest

Odds/Point Spread: Oakland (+260) Houston (-325)

The Oakland Athletics (45-99) are traveling to Minute Maid Park on Wednesday where they will take on the Houston Astros (82-63). The moneyline on this game has Oakland at +260 while Houston is opening at -325. The total is 8.5. The pitchers who are expected to start are Paul Blackburn and Hunter Brown.

As a squad, the Oakland Athletics are scoring 3.7 runs per game, which has them sitting at 30th in MLB. They have tallied 531 runs and have an on-base percentage of .301. The Athletics have accounted for 203 two-baggers as a team and have knocked 154 balls out of the stadium. They have compiled 511 runs batted in and 1,066 hits on the season, and their team batting average is .225. Oakland owns a slugging percentage of .374 and have been called out on strikes 1,319 times, while taking a walk on 450 occasions.

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Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 1.87 and their pitching staff has earned a collective WHIP of 1.53. Athletics pitchers have conceded 191 home runs and 830 runs in total (29th in MLB). Oakland has given up 1,314 base knocks (9.4 per 9 innings) and 781 earned runs. The Athletics have a team earned run average of 5.57 for the season (29th in baseball), and their staff has rung up 1,151 batters. Their pitching staff has walked 616 opposing batters and their FIP sits at 5.08 as a team on the season.

The Athletics relief pitchers have earned a save rate of 51.9% and stepped onto the hill in 110 save situations. The relievers have inherited 263 base runners over the course of the season and 39.2% of them earned a run for their team. Athletics relief pitchers have entered the game with runners on base 168 times as well as having 163 appearances in high leverage situations. The Athletics have sent 479 relief pitchers to the hill on the year. The bullpen have a total of 55 holds for the year (28th in baseball). They have recorded 27 saves on the year and have missed out on 25 of their 52 save opportunities.

The Oakland Athletics have a total of 3,788 putouts this year, as well as 1,137 assists and 87 errors. Their fielding rate is currently at .983 which has them ranked 27th in baseball, and have accumulated 111 double plays. The Athletics have converted 67.6% of balls hit into play into outs out of 11,364 innings on the diamond, which ranks them 27th in pro baseball.

Blackburn has taken the hill for 342 innings and is sitting with 261 strikeouts in his career. Blackburn (17-21 win-loss record in his career) holds a FIP of 4.23 and he has faced 1,481 opposing hitters during his time in the majors. His ERA is 4.76 (181 earned runs allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.418. He has surrendered 382 base hits (10.1 hits per nine innings) and has 103 walks.

Houston has a total of 198 HRs for the year to go along with 724 runs batted in. They have recorded 248 two-baggers, while taking a walk 494 times as well as racking up 750 runs. The Houston Astros have earned a team OBP of .332 and a team batting average of .260 this season. The Astros have a slugging percentage of .435 and they tally 5.17 runs per contest (6th in MLB). They have struck out on 1,110 occasions (28th in baseball) and have a total of 1,296 base hits.

The Astros have a team WHIP of 1.289 and have a FIP of 4.37 as a staff this season. They have earned a K/BB ratio of 9.10 (1,303 strikeouts against 479 bases on balls). They are currently ranked 16th in baseball as a staff in total hits relinquished with 1,191. They have surrendered 184 homers and they surrender 4.37 runs per 9 innings (10th in MLB). The Houston pitching staff have conceded 629 runs for the season and come in with a team ERA of 3.97 (571 earned runs surrendered).

Houston has called on relievers to enter the contest in 57 save chances and they have come away with 40 saves. They are currently ranked 4th in baseball with a save percentage of 70.2%, and they have dispatched 457 bullpen pitchers onto the diamond for the year. Their relievers have stepped onto the hill 138 times in high leverage situations and also on 86 occasions with base runners. Houston bullpen pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 31.4% out of their 140 inherited runners. With 136 save situations, the Astros have 78 holds and also 17 blown saves.

In 11,658 innings on the field, the Astros hold a efficiency on defense of 69.5% (12th in pro baseball). The Houston Astros have turned 133 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .986 (12th in the majors). The Astros have 1,220 assists, 71 errors and are sitting with 3,886 putouts during this campaign.

In his career, Brown has given up 160 base hits and he has 184 strikeouts in 161 innings. He has given up 77 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.336 and being the owner of a FIP of 3.7. His strikeout to walk ratio is 3.29 and he has faced 682 opposing batters in his pro baseball career. Brown (12-11 mark in his career) has a 4.29 ERA while allowing 8.9 hits per 9 innings.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Houston (-325)

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