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The Houston Astros will host the Oakland Athletics on Saturday at Minute Maid Park in MLB action. The high-flying Astros are the first team from the American League to guarantee themselves a wild-card berth. The Athletics, meanwhile, have been one of the worst teams in the MLB this season.
The Astros have been terrific. Simply put, they have been pretty much unstoppable. They have one of the best records in the MLB and are on their way towards the most wins in a season in franchise history.
Their overall record this season is 95-50, which places them atop the AL West. Their recent form has been staggering, winning eight of their last ten games and have the best record in the entire American League. The Astros have been formidable at home, going 49-22 at the Minute Maid Park. If they win this one, it will be their 50th home win of the season.
"Final four." - Astros
The Athletics, meanwhile, have been woeful this season. They have the second-worst record in the MLB. only above the Washington Nationals. They have gone 52-93 thus far, one of their franchises’ worst campaigns.
Their recent form has also been miserable, as they have lost eight of their last ten outings. Their confidence is shattered at this point, and it won’t be getting any easier against arguably the second-best team in the MLB. The Athletics have pretty much already lost this four-game series, trailing the Astros 2-0.
"GARCIA FOR THE LEAD" - Athletics
Justin Verlander has had a belter of a season. His stellar performances have earned him a place in the conversation for the best pitchers in the conference.
His ERA of 1.78 is the best in the MLB. Due to his incredible performances, the Astros have the second-best team ERA in the league as well. Yordan Alvarez has also been incredible for the Houston side. He has a batting average of .304 this season.
Houston Astros vs Oakland Athletics Match Details
Fixture: Oakland Athletics @ Houston Astros
Date and Time: Saturday, September 17; 7:10 pm ET
Venue: Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas
Houston Astros vs Oakland Athletics best picks
The top picks for the game are Jose Urquidy of the Astros and Cole Irvin of the Athletics. Urquidy has been quite impressive this season. He has an ERA of 3.76 and has gone 13-6 when he has started. Cole has an ERA of 3.73 thus far
Houston Astros vs Oakland Athletics Betting Odds
Astros vs Athletics Final Prediction
The Astros are the obvious pick. First place vs Last place rarely ever produces an upset, and the trend should continue here as well. The Astros are a solid bet.
Houston Astros: -1.5
