Check Out Comprehensive Player Prop Odds for Athletics vs Astros – Saturday, July 26, 2025

Athletics

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Houston Astros

As the Houston Astros prepare to face off against the Athletics at Minute Maid Park on July 26, 2025, they enter this matchup with a strong 60-44 record, showcasing their solid performance this season. Meanwhile, the Athletics have struggled to keep pace, sitting at 44-62. In their last outing, the Astros emerged victorious in a tight battle against the Athletics, solidifying their place as a contender in the American League West.

The pitching matchup is particularly intriguing, with Houston projected to start Hunter Brown, who has established himself as a top-tier pitcher this season. Ranked 17th among approximately 350 pitchers, Brown holds an impressive 9-4 record and an excellent ERA of 2.57. He has shown high strikeout potential, averaging 7.2 strikeouts per game, which could be a significant advantage against the Athletics’ lineup, known for its struggles with strikeouts, ranking 6th in MLB for most strikeouts.

In contrast, Jacob Lopez is set to take the mound for the Athletics. With a record of 3-6 and an average ERA of 4.60, Lopez has faced challenges this season, although projections suggest he may be due for a turnaround given his lower SIERA and xERA stats. Still, his average outing of 4.9 projected innings pitched and 2.6 earned runs allowed indicates the struggle he might face against a potent Astros offense, ranked 10th in MLB overall and 2nd in batting average.

Given the Astros’ strong offensive capabilities and their elite bullpen, currently ranked 4th in MLB, they stand as significant betting favorites in this matchup, making them a team to keep an eye on for bettors looking to capitalize on their favorable odds.

Athletics Insights

• Jacob Lopez – Over/Under 15.5 Pitching Outs (+125/-165)
  Recording 14.1 outs per outing this year on average, Jacob Lopez places him the 11th percentile.
  Explain: A pitcher who averages more outs per start than his Outs prop may be a good bet to go over, and visa-versa for the under.
• Nick Kurtz – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+125/-160)
  Nicholas Kurtz has seen a substantial improvement in his exit velocity recently; just compare his 98.7-mph average in the last two weeks to his seasonal 93.3-mph EV.
  Explain: Hitting the ball hard increases the chances of either a home run or the ball landing in fair territory for a hit before a fielder can get to it.
• Athletics – 2H Moneyline
  According to the leading projection system (THE BAT), the Athletics’ bullpen projects as the 4th-worst out of all the teams in baseball.
  Explain: Most bettors only consider the starting pitcher, but a weak bullpen sneakily creates an easier matchup for the opposing offense and boosts a game’s runs.

Houston Astros Insights

• Hunter Brown – Over/Under 7.5 Strikeouts (+105/-135)
  Hunter Brown’s higher usage rate of his fastball this season (60 compared to 53% last year) is not ideal since they are typically much less effective than breaking or off-speed pitches.
  Explain: Fastballs are the one easiest pitches to hit and generate few strikeouts, so a pitcher who begins to use his fastball more often will likely be less effective than he used to be.
• Zack Short – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (+120/-155)
  Zack Short is an extreme flyball batter and faces the weak outfield defense of Sacramento (#3-worst of all teams on the slate).
  Explain: This player’s skill set matches up well with the opposing team’s defensive weakness, which may lead to better-than-usual performance.
• Jose Altuve – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+120/-155)
  Jose Altuve pulls a lot of his flyballs (40.9% — 99th percentile) and has the good fortune of hitting them towards the game’s 2nd-shallowest LF fences today.
  Explain: This player’s skill set matches up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to better-than-usual performance.

Betting Trends

• Houston Astros – Moneyline (-180)
  The Houston Astros have hit the Moneyline in 54 of their last 90 games (+11.40 Units / 10% ROI)
• Over/Under 7.5 Game Total (-110/-110)
  The Athletics have hit the Game Total Over in 22 of their last 35 away games (+8.00 Units / 21% ROI)
• Zack Short – Over/Under 0.5 Home Runs (+850/-2300)
  Zack Short has hit the Home Runs Over in 2 of his last 4 games at home (+18.50 Units / 462% ROI)