Houston Astros vs Oakland Athletics Prediction, 5/24/2024 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Houston Astros vs Oakland Athletics

Date: Friday, May 24, 2024

Location: Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, CA

TV: NBC Sports California

The Oakland Athletics (20-31) will try to defeat the Houston Astros (22-28) at Oakland Coliseum on Friday. The pitchers taking the mound are Justin Verlander and Ross Stripling.

As a unit, the Houston Astros are scoring 4.6 runs per contest, which has them at 10th in the league. They have tallied 230 runs while having a team on-base percentage of .331. The Astros have hit 85 doubles as a team and have knocked 62 balls out of the park. They have earned 219 runs batted in in addition to 454 hits so far this season, while their batting average is at .264. Houston has a slugging percentage of .426 and have been rung up 334 times, while drawing a walk on 159 occasions.

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They have earned a K/BB ratio of 2.10 and the pitching staff has earned a collective WHIP of 1.40. Astros pitchers have given up 55 home runs and 231 runs (24th in the league). Houston has relinquished 407 hits (8.6 per 9 innings) as well as 219 earned runs. The Astros have an ERA of 4.64 this year (27th in MLB), and their staff has rung up 399 batters. Their pitching staff has walked 190 batters and their FIP is 4.47 as a team so far this season.

The Astros bullpen have earned a save rate of 47.1% and has entered the game in 43 save situations. The relief pitchers have inherited 46 base runners over the course of the season and 28.3% of those runners crossed home plate. Astros bullpen pitchers have entered the contest with opponents on base 29 times as well as having 48 appearances in high leverage situations. The Astros have sent 162 relievers to the mound on the year. The relief pitchers have accumulated 26 holds over the course of the season (17th in baseball). They have earned 8 saves so far this year and have blown 9 of their 17 save opportunities.

The Astros have converted 69.4% of balls hit into play into outs in their 3,996 innings on the field, which has them ranked 20th in baseball. The Houston Astros have earned a total of 1,332 putouts at this point in the season, in addition to 446 assists and 22 errors. Their fielding percentage sits at .988 which has them ranked 7th in baseball, and have accumulated 48 double plays.

Verlander has thrown 3,359 innings and has racked up 3,368 K's thus far in his career. His ERA is 3.25 (1,212 ER's allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.119. He has allowed 2,820 base knocks (7.6 hits per 9 innings) and has 939 walks. Verlander (259-143 mark in his career) has a FIP of 3.40 while going up against 13,688 opposing batters in the majors.

Oakland has knocked in 62 home runs on the season to go along with 180 runs batted in. They have recorded 72 two-baggers, while taking a walk 160 times and putting up 188 runs. The Oakland Athletics have recorded a team on-base percentage of .293 and a team batting average of .219 over the course of the season. The Athletics hold a team slugging percentage of .381 and they are scoring 3.69 runs per game (29th in MLB). They have struck out on 494 instances (2nd in MLB) and have totaled 370 hits.

The Oakland pitching staff have given up 240 runs so far this season while having an ERA of 4.53 (216 earned runs conceded). They have relinquished 45 HR's and they yield 5.03 runs per 9 innings (26th in the league). The Athletics are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.345 and have a FIP of 4.03 as a staff this year. Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 8.00 (381 strikeouts vs 159 walks). They are currently ranked 26th in MLB as a pitching staff in total hits given up with 418.

Oakland relievers hold an inherited score percentage of 34.5% of 58 inherited runners. Their relief pitchers have come in 44 times in high leverage situations in addition to 47 occasions with runners on. With 44 save situations, the Athletics have earned 28 holds and also 5 blown saves. They sit at 11th in the league holding a save rate of 68.8%, and they have dispatched 158 bullpen pitchers to the hill on the season. Oakland has called on relief pitchers to step onto the hill in 16 save opportunities and they have walked away with 11 saves.

The Oakland Athletics have gotten 54 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .980 (29th in pro baseball). The Athletics have recorded 448 assists, 37 errors and have earned 1,351 putouts over the course of the season. In their 4,053 innings on the diamond, the Athletics have a efficiency on defense of 68.2% (26th in baseball).

So far in his MLB career, Stripling has conceded 817 hits while accumulating 724 K's in 813 innings pitched. Stripling (39-51 win-loss mark in his career) is the owner of a 4.04 ERA and has surrendered 9.0 hits per nine innings. He has given up a total of 365 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.235 and a FIP of 4.1. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.87 and he has gone up against 3,397 hitters so far in his MLB career.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Houston

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