Las Vegas A's

Best Picks for Athletics vs. Astros

by
Tony Reyes
May 28, 2025

What: MLB Regular Season Game
When: May 28, 2025
Who: Athletics vs. Houston Astros
Time: 11:10 p.m. PST
Where: Daikin Park (Houston, TX)

The Houston Astros delivered a commanding 11-1 victory over the Athletics on Tuesday night, setting the stage for the finale of their two-game series with an afternoon matchup on Wednesday.

The Athletics are facing significant challenges, having lost nine of their last ten games, which has dropped them to the bottom of the AL West standings.

In contrast, the Astros are riding a three-game winning streak and are just 1.5 games behind the division leaders.

For the Wednesday game, the Athletics will have righty Luis Severino on the mound, while Houston counters with Lance McCullers Jr. Neither pitcher has had an impressive season thus far. However, this will be just McCullers’ fifth start of 2025.

I’ll provide a rundown of the odds, key players to watch for prop bets, and my prediction for this AL West showdown on May 28.

Previously, the A’s broke a lengthy losing streak by defeating the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday. However, they’ll enter this matchup as underdogs against the Houston Astros on the road.

Lance McCullers Jr. has struggled in the 2025 season, posting a 6.57 ERA over four starts. He has walked 10 batters in just 12.1 innings and has not completed five innings in any of his outings.

On the other side, A’s starter Luis Severino holds a 4.11 ERA but has faced difficulties in May, allowing 25 hits and 14 earned runs across 22.0 innings for a 5.73 ERA this month.

Considering both pitchers’ challenges and the A’s struggles with one of the league’s worst bullpens (5.96 ERA, 28th in MLB), I see value in betting on the Over for this game.

Additionally, the Over is 29-22-4 in A’s games, ranking as the third-best Over record in the league. If McCullers continues to falter, this matchup could result in a high-scoring affair early on Wednesday afternoon.