The Houston Astros are 4-9 in their last 13 road games against the Oakland Athletics. The Astros were spared playing in front of hostile crowds in 2020 due to COVID-19, but they’ll get their first taste of a road environment with over 10,000 fans expected to be in attendence Thursday night when Houston visits Oakland.
- Date/Time: April 1, 10:07 p.m. ET
- Arena: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
- TV Coverage: ESPN
- Sportsbook Odds: Astros -113 | O/U 8.5 (Line History)
- Astros vs Athletics Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
Houston originally opened as a small betting favorite at -113 on the road, but bettors have leaned toward the Athletics in this Sportsbook Day matchup. Oakland is now the slight favorite at -107 while the Astros are going off at -103. The total has remained steady at 8.5 runs; the UNDER is 7-3 in Oakland’s last 10 home games vs Houston.
Starting Pitchers Analysis
Zack Greinke recorded a 3-3 record with a 4.03 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP in 12 starts for the Astros last season. The veteran right-hander will be making his fifth career Sportsbook Day start after starting one for the Kansas City Royals and three for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Greinke is 0-1 with an 8.20 ERA in his previous four Sportsbook Day assignments.
Chris Bassitt emerged as a legitimate ace for the Athletics in 2020 with a 2.29 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 55 strikeouts in 63 innings pitched. Bassitt looked sharp in spring training as well with a 1.74 ERA across three Cactus League starts. The 32-year-old had a 2.65 ERA and a 1-1 record in three starts against the Astros last season.
Houston News & Notes
Houston bounced back from a disappointing 29-31 regular season to go 8-5 in the postseason last year, pushing the Tampa Bay Rays to Game 7 in the ALCS. The postseason run also saw Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa find their swings after suffering through disappointing regular seasons.
The Astros lost George Springer in free agency this offseason but are otherwise largely the same team that has enjoyed plenty of success in recent years. Dealing with the fallout of the cheating scandal was clearly a distraction in 2020. Will Houston be able to shake off that distraction in 2021, or will the return of live crowds bring it back to the forefront?
Oakland News & Notes
The Athletics won the AL West last season with a 36-24 record before eventually falling to the Astros in the second round of the postseason. Oakland was carried last season by its pitching, which ranked fifth in the majors with a team ERA of 3.77. The team also played great at home in 2020 with a record of 22-10 in Oakland.
Oakland has a talented young core that includes solid hitters like Matt Chapman, Matt Olson and Ramon Laureano. The front office added Mitch Moreland to the lineup through free agency and a pair of experienced relievers in Trevor Rosenthal and Sergio Romo. This group should be right in the mix for the division title again in 2021.
Betting Pick: Oakland -107
This is a pretty even matchup on paper. But with the Athletics looking for some revenge for last season’s playoff series loss and playing at home in front of their home crowd, we give the edge to Oakland.
- Houston went 9-23 on the road in 2020.
- Oakland is 0-5 in its last 5 games played in April.
- The UNDER is 6-1 in Houston’s last 7 games.
