Athletics vs. Astros Prediction and Odds for Sunday, July 17 (Pitching Mismatch of Epic Proportions)
By Joe Summers
Houston has dominated opponents all season but has missed one puzzle piece for a complete team: a quality fifth starter.
Jake Odorizzi may be that missing piece after throwing seven shutout innings against these Athletics in his last start. He's got an opportunity to prove that outing was no fluke this afternoon at 2:10 PM EST.
Oakland counters with Adam Oller making his fourth start of the season. His previous four did not go well, as he amassed a 12.27 ERA before spending time in the bullpen and minors to get his confidence back up.
Did Oller's time away from the rotation work? Can he finish the day with an ERA under 10 or will Odorizzi hurl another gem? We'll find out, but before we answer those questions let's check out the odds from WynnBET Sportsbook:
Athletics vs Astros Odds, Run Line and Total
Run Line:
- Athletics +1.5 (+112)
- Astros -1.5 (-135)
Moneyline:
- Athletics: +240
- Astros: -270
Total:
- 8.5 (Over +100/Under -120)
Athletics vs Astros Prediction and Pick
Jake Odorizzi certainly seems to be that missing puzzle piece, alright. Over his last six starts, he's had precisely one bad day when Kansas City put up five runs on him. But otherwise, he's allowed one run twice and held his opponent scoreless three times. Only the Royals generated more than four hits against him and the Astros are 5-1 in that stretch.
Jake Odorizzi has a 1.87 ERA over his last 6 starts. He’s allowed 7 runs over 33.2 innings and 5 of those runs came after not facing big league hitters for 6 weeks. He generates some odd takes from people
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) July 10, 2022
With 13 wins in its last 17 games, Houston is absolutely rolling. I don't see Adam Oller slowing them down, either. He allowed at least five runs in three of his four starts and didn't exactly impress in the minors before getting called back up.
Just look at the poor guy's MLB Statcast Pitching Profile and tell me he's supposed to stop the vaunted 'Stros:
Good luck with that one. The Astros are 10-2 in their last dozen as a home favorite with eight wins coming by multiple runs. I see more of the same here as Odorizzi's rise continues and Oller remains overwhelmed.
Pick: Astros -1.5 (-135)
Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.