Oakland Athletics vs Houston Astros Prediction, 4/9/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Oakland Athletics vs Houston Astros

Date: Friday, April 9, 2021

Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX

TV: AT&T SportsNet Southwest

Odds/Point Spread: Oakland (+105) Houston (-156)

Lance McCullers Jr and the Houston Astros (5-1, 1st in AL West) play the Oakland Athletics (1-6, 5th in AL West) at Minute Maid Park on Friday. The Astros open this game at -156 while the Athletics are priced at +105. The O/U opens at 9. The pitchers taking the mound will be Sean Manaea and Lance McCullers Jr.

As a unit, the Oakland Athletics are scoring 2.4 runs per game, which is 30th in MLB. They have notched a total of 17 runs scored and hold an OBP of .265. The Athletics have earned 8 doubles as a squad and have hit 3 baseballs out of the park. They have compiled 16 RBI's and 37 hits this year, while their team batting average is sitting at .168. Oakland has a slugging percentage of .264 and have been called out on strikes 66 times, while drawing a walk on 24 occasions.

The Athletics have compiled a team ERA of 7.17 for the season (29th in baseball), and their staff has struck out 55 hitters. Their strikeout to walk ratio is 1.62 and the pitching staff has earned a collective WHIP of 1.78. Athletics pitchers have allowed 13 home runs and also 53 total runs (1st in MLB). Their pitching staff has walked 34 hitters and their FIP sits at 6.09 as a team this year.

Athletics bullpen pitchers have entered the contest with runners on base in 11 games in addition to 4 outings with high leverage. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 18 base runners on the season with 44.4% of those runners crossed home plate. The Athletics have sent 29 relief pitchers to the hill on the season.

Manaea has taken the hill for 552 innings and is sitting with 451 K's during his career. Manaea (39-32 win-loss record in his career) is the owner of a FIP of 4.11 while he has faced 2,292 hitters during his time in the majors. His earned run average is 3.89 (239 earned runs allowed) and his WHIP is 1.202. He has given up 522 base hits (8.5 hits per nine innings) and has had 142 walks.

Houston has accounted for 12 home runs on the year to go along with 41 RBIs. They have 14 doubles, while taking a walk 24 times as well as racking up 45 runs. The Houston Astros have earned a team on-base percentage of .371 and a batting average of .295 so far this season. The Astros have a SLG% of .523 and they tally 7.50 runs per contest (2nd in baseball). They have struck out on 51 occasions (24th in baseball) and have totaled 65 base knocks.

The Astros have a WHIP of 1.075 in addition to having a FIP of 3.60 as a pitching staff on the campaign. They have earned a K/BB ratio of 2.42 (46 strikeouts vs 19 free passes). They rank 24th in MLB as a pitching staff in total hits surrendered with 38. They have given up 3 homers and they allow 3.06 runs per 9 innings (4th in MLB). The Houston pitching staff have conceded 18 runs this season while holding an ERA of 2.72 (16 earned runs conceded).

With 2 chances for a save, the Astros have earned 6 holds and also 1 blown save. Houston has called on relievers to enter the contest in 9 save situations and they have tallied 1 save. Their bullpen pitchers have taken the field in 7 games with high leverage and 6 outings with base runners. Houston relief pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 29.0% out of their 14 inherited runners. They are currently ranked 17th in the league holding a save percentage of 50.0%, and they have dispatched 19 bullpen pitchers onto the field so far this season.

McCullers (33-25 career record) has a 3.68 earned run average while surrendering 7.8 hits per nine innings. He has a K/BB ratio of 2.85 and he has gone up against 2,158 batters so far in his pro baseball career. He has given up a total of 210 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.260 and a FIP of 3.3. Thus far in his career, McCullers has surrendered 446 hits while he has earned 572 punch outs in 513 innings pitched.

Who will win tonight's MLB game ATS?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Houston (-156)

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