Astros vs. Athletics Odds and Prediction for Friday, July 21 (Don't Overthink It)

Jul 8, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) delivers a
Jul 8, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) delivers a | Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Astros took care of business against the Oakland Athletics on Thursday, but can they keep their momentum going on Friday?

Framber Valdez, the AL Cy Young favorite, gets the start for Houston in the second game against the A's, and while that may make it seem like the Astros are an auto-bet, it's worth noting they're somehow just 10-8 in his starts this season.

Let's take a look at the odds for the game and then I'll break down how I'm betting on this game.

Astros vs. Athletics odds, run line, and total

Astros vs. Athletics prediction and pick

Let's not let the Astros record with Valdez on the bump sway us away from betting on Houston to win with margin tonight against the Athletics.

I expect nothing less than a masterclass from Valdez tonight. The Astros offense has been unsurprisingly terrible lately, ranking 27th in OPS over the last 30 days. They're also batting just .219 over the time frame.

Meanwhile, the Astros offense is red hot and should be well suited to give Valdez some great run support. Over the past month, they're sixth in the Majors in OPS while batting .264.

Let's not overthink this bet. It's Astros run line or nothing for me tonight.


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