Houston Astros vs Oakland Athletics

It appears that the Houston Astros have begun to make their move. They are now 42-31 and sit 4.5 games atop the AL West. Houston is now 16-6 in their last 22 games and playing as well as anyone. The Houston pitching staff has been exceptional, as their opponents have scored more than four runs just once in their last 15 games. Moreover, they have not allowed more than three runs in seven straight games. The Athletics season can be defined by a shocking stretch going 14-6, and it started to look like a team coming together. They have since gone a woeful 10-29, so the Athletics overall are not as good as they may have looked earlier in the season. I like Houston in this one.

Houston is 14-18 on the road after losing the opener of this road trip, 3-1, as a favorite. Jason Alexander (18.00 ERA) will start, and batters are hitting .400 off him! The offense ranks 20th in runs scored, 17th in on-base percentage, 17th in slugging percentage, and 21st in stolen bases. Meanwhile, the Athletics have won four in a row, part of a 7-4 run. The offense is 13th in runs scored, 13th in on-base percentage, and seventh in slugging. The Athletics have won their last three games as an underdog, so back the home dog. Play The Athletics. 

The Athletics turned it around and swept a three-game series at Kansas City. Rookie Nick Kurtz broke a 2-all tie with a home run in the ninth, and the bullpen pitched three scoreless innings. The young talent is starting to produce for the Athletics, who allowed only six runs in the series. Houston is on a five-game win streak, but now the Astros go on the road, where they are under .500 at 14-17. Lance McCullers Jr. gave up four runs in five innings in his last start in a 4-2 loss to the White Sox. He has a 4.91 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP this season. These teams have split the past 10 meetings. Take the Athletics on the runline.

The Athletics are on a 1-12 slide after getting crushed by Houston, 11-1 (Max Play winner). The offense is 14th in runs scored, while the pitching is 28th in ERA (5.40). They're getting outscored by 87 runs, the second-worst differential in the AL. They've lost the last three starts made by Luis Severino (4.11 ERA), and the bullpen is 28th in ERA (5.96). Meanwhile, the Astros are 19-10 at home and play their sixth consecutive home contest. Houston's offense is 11th in on-base percentage, while the pitching is eighth in ERA (3.38) and the team defense is ninth in fielding percentage. Houston is on a 12-7 run, and the bullpen is second in the majors in ERA (2.71). Play Houston.