The Oakland Athletics take on the Houston Astros in the middle clash of a three-game series at Minute Maid Park in Houston, so here’s the best Athletics vs Astros betting pick for Saturday, July 16. The hosts are massive favorites to win this battle. Friday’s contest has been excluded from the analysis, and Houston has won five of its first six games against Oakland in 2022.
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Athletics vs Astros Betting Pick
This game will be played at Minute Maid Park at 4:10 PM ET on Saturday, July 16, 2022.
Why Bet The Astros:
✅ Justin Verlander will get the nod for the Astros and shoot for his fourth straight win. Over his previous three starts, the 39-year-old righty has dominated the Yankees, Mets, and Royals, surrendering only three runs (two earned) on 13 hits and four walks across 21 innings of work.
✅ The Astros have scored 72 runs in their previous 13 games while slashing an excellent .261/.346/.472 with 22 home runs and 25 doubles across 441 at-bats. On the other side, the A’s have accounted for 53 runs in their last 13 outings, hitting a poor .199/.263/.342.
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✅ Houston’s bullpen is 2-0 with three saves and a strong 3.00 ERA and 2.82 FIP in the last ten days and 24 innings of work. It sits at a shiny 2.19 ERA, 2.59 FIP, and 12.4 K/9 for the month of July.
Oakland Athletics
The Athletics dropped two straight series, including a three-game home set against the Astros. They suffered a 5-2 defeat at the Texas Rangers last Thursday, falling to 30-60 on the season. Oakland has gone 2-5 in its last seven tilts and 5-11 in its previous 16.
Jared Koenig will get the starting call Saturday, and the 28-year-old left-hander hasn’t pitched in the majors since June 25, 2022. He’s 1-2 with an awful 6.38 ERA and 1.74 WHIP in four starts (18.1 innings) this season. Oakland’s bullpen holds a solid 3.25 ERA and 3.47 FIP in 44.1 innings pitched in July.
Houston Astros
The Astros beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 in ten innings this past Thursday to clinch their fifth straight series. They improved to 58-30 on the season, and the Astros haven’t dropped two straight games in more than a month. Houston was comfortably topping the AL West on Friday, 11 games ahead of its closest rivals, the Seattle Mariners.
Justin Verlander carries an 11-3 record into Saturday’s battle against the A’s. He holds a pristine 2.00 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, and 98/19 K/BB ratio in 16 starts and 103.1 innings of work in 2022. Verlander ranks in the 79th percentile in xwOBA, and his four-seamer has a minus-10 run value.