Astros vs. Athletics: Game 1 prediction, odds, injuries and picks

The Houston Astros and Athletics lock horns on Monday for the first of four games at Sutter Health Park.

Houston is flying high at the top of the Al West with a 41-30 record, while the Athletics are 29-44 and at the bottom of the standings.

Here's a look at the odds for Monday's game, and how the action might play out on the field.

Astros vs. Athletics prediction

Taking the mound for Houston is veteran Lance McCullers, who is having a decent season. He has a 1-2 record, along with a 4.91 ERA and 39 strikeouts.

Lance McCullers in action against the Pittsburgh Pirates - Source: Getty

Offensively, Jeremy Pena, Isaac Paredes, Jose Altuve and Jake Meyers have been the players to watch for the Astros.

For the Athletics, Mitch Spence will start. On paper, he has fared better than his counterpart, with a 2-1 record, a 3.67 ERA and 45 strikeouts.

At the plate, Jacob Wilson is enjoying a superb season, supported by the likes of Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler and Tyler Soderstrom.

Houston and the Athletics enter the series fresh off sweeping the Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals, making this an interesting matchup. However, the visitors have been the better team this season, and that gulf in quality should show in Monday's game.

Prediction: Houston Astros 6, Athletics 4

Odds

Money line: Houston Astros -164, Athletics +133

Run line: Houston -1.5 (-102), Athletics +1.5 (-119)

Total runs: Over 8.5 (-196), Under 8.5 (+155)

Injury report

Astros injuries:

Chas McCormick: 10-day IL (Oblique)
Zach Dezenzo: 10-day IL (Hand)
Taylor Trammell: 10-day IL (Calf)
Jacob Melton: 10-day IL (Ankle)
Yordan Alvarez: 10-day IL (Hand)
Pedro Leon: 10-day IL (Knee)
Spencer Arrighetti: 60-day IL (Thumb)
Ronel Blanco: 60-day IL (Elbow)
J.P. France: 60-day IL (Shoulder)
Cristian Javier: 60-day IL (Elbow)
Hayden Wesneski: 60-day IL (Elbow)
Luis Garcia: 60-day IL (Elbow)
Isaac Paredes: day-to-day (Hamstring)

Athletics injuries:

Miguel Andujar: 10-day IL (Oblique)
Shea Langeliers: 10-day IL (Oblique)
Gio Urshela: 10-day IL (Hamstring)
Gunnar Hoglund: 15-day IL (Hip)
J.T. Ginn: 15-day IL (Quad)
Luis Medina: 60-day IL (Elbow)
Jose Leclerc: 60-day IL (Shoulder)
Ken Waldichuk: 60-day IL (Elbow)
Zack Gelof: 60-day IL (Hand)
Brady Basso: 60-day IL (Shoulder)

Expert's picks

Although the pitching matchup leans slightly in the hosts' favor, it's tough to back against a Houston win.

Money line: Houston Astros -164

Run line: Houston -1.5 (-102)

Total runs: Over 8.5 (-196)

About the author

Raghav Mehta is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda awaiting results for a Bachelor's in Journalism from Delhi University. He enjoys highlighting the key battles between players at different stages of the game and analyzing the decisive moments upon which they hinge.

One of Raghav's favorite moments, which underscores this, was the Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout clash in the 2023 WBC, where two of baseball's best players faced off against each other in the 9th inning. With the score 3-2 to Japan, Shohei eventually got the strikeout, which was absolute cinema.

Raghav is a Baltimore Orioles fan and is enjoying watching such an exciting young team compete at the top in a very competitive division.

Raghav has loved watching sports for as long as he can remember and realized he was pretty decent at writing his thoughts down at around the age of 14. Combining the two meant he had something he would enjoy doing every day, and he had identified that well before going to college.

Aside from work, Raghav enjoys playing sports, working out and watching movies.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez

Astros vs. Athletics: Game 1 prediction, odds, injuries and picks - June 16, 2025