Houston (11-5) at Oakland (10-9)
When: Tuesday, April 16th, 2019
Where: Oakland Coliseum,
Oakland, California
Time: 10:07 ET | TV: NBCS California,
AT&T SportsNet Southwest
Opening Odds: Houston -131/8.5
The Houston Astros started the season with a seven-game road trip that resulted in a poor 2-5 start and were just ahead of the L.A. Angels in the basement of a division they have won the last two years. Well, coming back to Minute Maid Park seems to have cured those woes for now, as they ride a nine-game winning streak into Oakland Tuesday night for the first of a two-game set with the Athletics. Houston swept both of last year’s AL Wild Card teams – the Yankees and A’s – 6-0 in their homestand, then went back on the road to sweep the AL-best Seattle Mariners over the weekend and are all of a sudden knocking on the door atop the American League West. Houston is coming off a right 3-2 win over the Mariners on Sunday after a Aledmys Diaz seventh-inning home run proving to be the difference. Second baseman Jose Altuve enters the series with a seven game hitting streak and his string of home runs in five consecutive contests came to an end on Sunday. Oakland has been mashing the cover off the ball lately and are 3.5 games behind the Mariners despite being in fourth place, as all AL West teams are .500 or better. The A’s four-game winning streak came to an end on Sunday with an 8-7 loss at Texas and have scored 46 runs in the last five games. Slugger Khris Davis leads all of Baseball with 10 home runs but went 1-for-8 without an extra-base hit in the three games in Houston earlier this season.
Pitchers: Astros – Collin McHugh (2-1, 2.65 ERA) | Athletics – Marco Estrada (0-1, 4.87)
Houston’s Colin McHugh will have his hands full trying to slow an Oakland lineup that has produced seven runs or more in five straight games. He has been the Astros best pitcher through the first three weeks of the season, allowing two or fewer runs in each of his three turns. McHugh tamed the Yankees’ bats in his last outing with nine strikeouts in six innings last Wednesday. McHugh has already seen Oakland this season and surrendered just a single run in six innings of work in Houston’s 3-2 victory.
Marco Estrada has already started four games – thanks to the early start in Japan – and the A’s have yet to win when he takes the mound (0-4). He has allowed three runs or more in three of his four starts and was hit hardest by the lowly Baltimore Orioles last time out for six runs on nine hits – two homers – in four innings to suffer the loss. Estrada missed Houston the first time around but did see them twice in 2018 as a member of Toronto, and those outings didn’t go well. He was hit for a total of seven earned runs and 15 hits in 9.2 innings.
Oakland is pretty good against the entire American League except for this Houston team. The Astros are 34-15 versus the A’s since the middle of the 2016 season including a three-game sweep earlier this year. Houston has their best pitcher so far this season on the mound with a hot offense behind them and Estrada does not have good numbers when facing the Astros.
Check out who Bobby Babowski has for Tuesday on his Free MLB Picks page. He is 31-22 +485 Units on the season.
Pick: Astros -145
BETTING TRENDS:
Astros are 6-0 in their last 6 vs. a team with a winning record.
Astros are 4-0 in their last 4 when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game.
Astros are 6-0 in their last 6 games vs. a right-handed starter.
Astros are 8-1 in their last 9 games following an off day.
Astros are 4-1 in their last 5 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.
Astros are 4-1 in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning record.
Astros are 12-4 in their last 16 Tuesday games.
Astros are 20-7 in their last 27 vs. American League West.
Astros are 40-14 in their last 54 games on grass.
Astros are 21-8 in their last 29 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Astros are 36-15 in their last 51 overall.
Astros are 45-19 in their last 64 road games.
Astros are 56-24 in their last 80 games following a win.
Astros are 14-6 in their last 20 after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game.
Astros are 46-20 in their last 66 during game 1 of a series.
Astros are 73-33 in their last 106 when their opponent allows 5 runs or more in their previous game.
Astros are 1-4 in their last 5 road games vs. a right-handed starter.
Astros are 13-2 in McHugh’s last 15 Tuesday starts.
Astros are 6-1 in McHugh’s last 7 road starts vs. a team with a winning record.
Astros are 33-6 in McHugh’s last 39 starts vs. American League West.
Astros are 5-1 in McHugh’s last 6 starts.
Astros are 14-3 in McHugh’s last 17 starts with 5 days of rest.
Astros are 4-1 in McHugh’s last 5 starts during game 1 of a series.
Astros are 8-2 in McHugh’s last 10 starts when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game.
Astros are 8-3 in McHugh’s last 11 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
Astros are 5-2 in McHugh’s last 7 starts after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game.
Astros are 7-3 in McHugh’s last 10 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.
Astros are 56-26 in McHugh’s last 82 starts on grass.
Athletics are 4-1 in their last 5 overall.
Athletics are 38-15 in their last 53 home games.
Athletics are 40-16 in their last 56 after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game.
Athletics are 36-15 in their last 51 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
Athletics are 26-11 in their last 37 games following a loss.
Athletics are 11-5 in their last 16 Tuesday games.
Athletics are 72-35 in their last 107 games on grass.
Athletics are 6-13 in their last 19 home games following a road trip of 7 or more days.
Athletics are 2-5 in their last 7 games vs. a right-handed starter.
Athletics are 1-4 in their last 5 vs. American League West.
Athletics are 1-4 in their last 5 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.
Athletics are 1-5 in their last 6 games following an off day.
Athletics are 0-4 in Estrada’s last 4 starts.
Under is 9-1 in Astros last 10 vs. a team with a winning record.
Under is 7-1 in Astros last 8 when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game.
Under is 5-1 in Astros last 6 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.
Under is 5-1 in Astros last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning record.
Under is 5-1 in Astros last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Under is 22-6-3 in Astros last 31 road games vs. a right-handed starter.
Under is 11-4-2 in Astros last 17 Tuesday games.
Over is 5-2 in Astros last 7 games following an off day.
Under is 5-2 in Astros last 7 vs. American League West.
Under is 12-5 in Astros last 17 overall.
Under is 7-3 in Astros last 10 games vs. a right-handed starter.
Under is 39-18-2 in Astros last 59 during game 1 of a series.
Under is 34-16-4 in Astros last 54 road games.
Under is 8-0 in McHugh’s last 8 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
Under is 4-0 in McHugh’s last 4 road starts vs. a team with a winning record.
Under is 5-0 in McHugh’s last 5 starts when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game.
Under is 5-1 in McHugh’s last 6 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.
Under is 13-3-1 in McHugh’s last 17 starts with 5 days of rest.
Under is 11-3 in McHugh’s last 14 starts overall.
Under is 7-2 in McHugh’s last 9 starts during game 1 of a series.
Under is 9-3 in McHugh’s last 12 starts on grass.
Under is 15-5-1 in McHugh’s last 21 starts after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game.
Under is 6-2 in McHugh’s last 8 road starts.
Under is 6-2 in McHugh’s last 8 starts vs. American League West.
Under is 10-4 in McHugh’s last 14 starts when their opponent allows 5 runs or more in their previous game.
Over is 7-3 in McHugh’s last 10 Tuesday starts.
Over is 7-0 in Athletics last 7 overall.
Over is 7-0 in Athletics last 7 on grass.
Over is 5-0 in Athletics last 5 games vs. a right-handed starter.
Over is 5-1 in Athletics last 6 games following an off day.
Under is 5-1 in Athletics last 6 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
Over is 4-1 in Athletics last 5 games following a loss.
Over is 18-5 in Athletics last 23 after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game.
Under is 7-2 in Athletics last 9 home games.
Over is 10-3 in Athletics last 13 when their opponent allows 2 runs or less in their previous game.
Under is 8-3 in Athletics last 11 Tuesday games.
Over is 8-3 in Athletics last 11 during game 1 of a series.
Over is 20-8-1 in Athletics last 29 after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game.
Over is 12-5-1 in Athletics last 18 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Under is 7-3 in Athletics last 10 vs. American League West.
Over is 47-21-4 in Athletics last 72 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.
Astros are 8-1 in McHugh’s last 9 starts vs. Athletics.
Over is 4-1-1 in the last 6 meetings in Oakland.
Astros are 7-2 in the last 9 meetings in Oakland.
Over is 17-7-2 in the last 26 meetings.
Astros are 40-18 in the last 58 meetings.
