The Athletics host the Houston Astros on April 5, 2026. First pitch from Sutter Health Park is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on SCHN.
The Astros are favored by -118 on the moneyline and by -1.5 on the run line. The Athletics are +100 on the moneyline and +1.5 on the run line. The total is set at 10 runs.
Find my MLB picks and Astros vs Athletics prediction below, as well as probable pitchers, weather report, and more.
Astros vs Athletics Prediction
- Astros vs Athletics Pick: Astros F5 -0.5 (+112)
My Astros vs Athletics best bet is on Houston to lead in the first half of the game. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Astros vs Athletics Odds
| Astros Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +122 | 10 -105o / -115u | -118 |
| Athletics Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -146 | 10 -105o / -115u | +100 |
- Astros vs Athletics spread: Astros -1.5 (+122), Athletics +1.5 (-146)
- Astros vs Athletics over/under: 10 (-105o / -115u)
- Astros vs Athletics moneyline: Astros -118, Athletics +100
Astros vs Athletics Projected Starting Pitchers
| RHP Lance McCullers (HOU) | Stat | LHP Jacob Lopez (ATH) |
|---|---|---|
| 1-0 | W-L | 0-1 |
| 0.3 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 0.0 |
| 1.29 / 3.55 | ERA / xERA | 6.75 / 4.14 |
| 1.05 / 1.44 | FIP / xFIP | 6.94 / 9.38 |
| 0.71 | WHIP | 2.75 |
| 33.3 | K-BB% | -22.7 |
| 57.1 | GB% | 41.2 |
| 99 | Stuff+ | 80 |
| 103 | Location+ | 91 |
Astros vs Athletics Preview
After some preseason hype, Jacob Lopez did the exact thing that has held him back in the past.
The A's pitcher walked five batters in his first start, barely tossing half of his 92 pitches for strikes.
Houston is shaping up to be the stone worst matchup for pitchers with shaky control. The club hired new hitting coaches, and the approach has been to work on at-bats and take walks.
After walking 13 times on Saturday, the Astros have now walked 50 times in 9 games.
“It’s not going to be like that every day, but we need to continue to preach it because when we do it right, this is the outcome," manager Joe Espada told reporters.
Lance McCullers Jr. put together a strong showing in his season debut. The Astros starter held the Red Sox to one earned run over seven innings with nine strikeouts.
Action PRO projects him for 6.1 strikeouts today.
After using the cutter just 4.5% of the time last season, McCullers threw it on 25% of his pitches against Boston.
He also prioritized the knuckle curveball over the sweeper. It's a mix that can help him navigate lefties better, which will matter against the A's with Nick Kurtz and Tyler Soderstrom up top.
Pick: Astros F5 -0.5 (+112, FanDuel)
