Oakland Athletics vs Houston Astros Prediction, 7/8/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Oakland Athletics vs Houston Astros

Date: Thursday, July 8, 2021

Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX

TV: AT&T SportsNet Southwest

Odds/Point Spread: Oakland (+155) Houston (-200)

Minute Maid Park is the venue where Lance McCullers Jr and the Houston Astros (53-33, 1st in AL West) will play the Oakland Athletics (49-38, 2nd in AL West) on Thursday. The Athletics open this game at +155 while the Astros are coming in at -200. The total is set at 8.5. The pitchers taking the mound are Frankie Montas and Lance McCullers Jr.

The Athletics have recorded 143 doubles as a team and have smacked 105 balls out of the stadium. Oakland has a slugging percentage of .404 and have been called out on strikes 748 times, while being walked on 302 occasions. As a team, the Oakland Athletics are knocking in 4.5 runs per outing, which is 13th in the league. They have 364 RBI's and 670 base knocks for the season, while their team batting average sits at .234. They have tallied 389 runs while having a team OBP of .315.

The Athletics are sitting with a team ERA of 3.89 on the year (11th in the league), and they have struck out 715 hitters. Their strikeout to walk ratio is 3.07 and their pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.25. Athletics pitchers have given up 97 long balls in addition to 363 total runs (13th in baseball). They have walked 233 opposing batters and their FIP comes in at 3.98 as a squad this year.

The Athletics bullpen have recorded a save percentage of 65.6% and stepped onto the hill in 71 save situations. The relief pitchers have inherited 98 base runners so far this season with 33.7% of those runners ended up crossing the plate. Athletics pitchers have entered the contest with runners on 69 times in addition to having 71 appearances in high leverage situations. The Athletics have dispatched 262 relievers to the mound for the season. The bullpen have notched 39 holds on the season (17th in the league). They have accumulated 21 saves for the year and have blown 11 of 32 chances to get a save.

The Athletics have converted 69.7% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 6,948 innings on the diamond, which ranks them 15th in the majors. The Oakland Athletics have accounted for 2,316 putouts on the year, as well as 686 assists and 39 errors. Their fielding percentage is at .987 which is 3rd in professional baseball, and have accumulated 597 double plays.

Montas (25-21 career mark) has earned a FIP of 4.09 and he has gone up against 1,541 batters during his time in the major leagues. He has given up 366 base knocks (9.3 hits per nine innings) with 123 walks. His earned run average is 4.32 (170 ER's allowed) and his WHIP is 1.380. Montas has taken the hill for 354 innings and is sitting with 357 punch outs so far in his pro baseball career.

Houston has accounted for 111 HRs over the course of the season as well as 462 runs batted in. They have hit 162 two-baggers, while getting a free base 330 times and putting up 483 runs. The Houston Astros hold a team OBP of .350 and a batting average of .274 on the campaign. The Astros have a team SLG% of .445 and they are scoring 5.62 runs per contest (1st in MLB). They have been rung up on 631 instances (30th in MLB) and have recorded 812 hits.

The Astros hold a team WHIP of 1.184 and are the owners of a FIP of 4.05 as a unit this year. They are sitting at 7th in baseball as a staff in total hits given up with 632. The Houston pitching staff have surrendered 343 runs over the course of the season while holding an ERA of 3.62 (309 earned runs relinquished). They have earned a K/BB ratio of 2.78 (771 strikeouts vs 277 bases on balls). They have allowed 99 home runs and they allow 4.02 runs per 9 innings (7th in MLB).

Sitting with 72 save situations, the Astros have accrued 38 holds and also 13 blown saves. Houston has called on relief pitchers to step onto the mound in 33 save opportunities and they have walked away with 20 saves. Their relievers have come in 86 times in high leverage situations in addition to 74 occasions with base runners. Houston bullpen pitchers have an inherited score rate of 42.3% out of their 111 inherited base runners. They sit at 19th in baseball holding a save rate of 60.6%, and they have sent 256 relief pitchers onto the field for the year.

In 6,912 innings on the field, the Astros are sitting with a efficiency on defense of 72.3% (2nd in the majors). The Houston Astros have turned 65 double plays and have earned a fielding percentage of .989 (1st in MLB). The Astros have recorded 723 assists, 33 errors and are sitting with 2,304 putouts during this campaign.

During his MLB career, McCullers has conceded 494 base knocks while accumulating 646 K's in 581 innings pitched. McCullers (38-26 career record) has a 3.61 ERA while conceding 7.6 hits per 9 innings. He has allowed 233 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.257 and having a FIP of 3.4. His strikeout to walk ratio is 2.73 and he has gone up against 2,444 batters during his MLB career.

Who will win tonight's baseball game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Houston (-200)

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