Athletics vs. Astros prediction: Picks, odds, live stream, TV channel, start time on Saturday, August 13

The Oakland Athletics and Houston Astros square off on Saturday with first pitch set for 7:10 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. Zach Logue (3-4, 4.79 ERA) will make the start for the A's while Lance McCullers Jr. will make his long-awaited return and season debut for the Astros.

Oakland (41-72) had some trade deadline magic that added to their win column, but it appears that the magic has run out. The A's sit in last place in the AL West and have lost six straight in a row, including a 7-5 loss in their series opener against the Astros. Heading into Friday's matchup the two teams were actually deadlocked at six wins apiece against each other after Oakland had swept Houston at the end of July. The A's will look to tie the season series in game two on Saturday.

Houston (73-41) has the best record in the American League and holds the third-best regular season winning percentage (.640). Despite going 6-4 in their previous 10 games they still hold a comfortable 11-game lead over the rising Seattle Mariners, who sit in second place in the AL West. The Astros have been able to keep their opponents in check at the plate with the second-best team ERA at 3.05, led by the veteran Justin Verlander finding the fountain of youth this season. Through this season, Verlander is 15-3 as a starter and has a league-best 1.85 ERA.

Athletics vs. Astros

Pitchers: Zach Logue vs. Lance McCullers Jr.
First pitch: 7:10 p.m. ET
A's local broadcast: NBC Sports California
Astros local broadcast: AT&T SportsNet Southwest
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)

Odds, picks & predictions

Run Line: Astros -1.5 (-135)
Run total: 8.5
Moneyline odds: Athletics +230, Astros -275

Moneyline pick: Astros -275

Oakland may have swept the Astros at the close of July, but everyone knows that Houston is the all-around better team by every statistical measure. The A's are also just 24-34 on the road and 22-42 against teams above .500. Don't be alarmed by the Astros' moneyline odds, they are heavy favorites in this one for a reason.

Player prop pick: Jose Altuve over 1.5 total bases (-110)

Altuve is batting .356 over the past two weeks and has a batting average of .319 against Oakland throughout his career. He also has a higher on-base percentage of .398 at home versus .336 on the road. He's got history on his side against his division rivals and should hit the over on total bases in game two of this series. /

  
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