The Astros (53-43, 28-21 away) travel to take on the Athletics (27-71, 14-36 home) in game one of this AL West matchup. J.P. France is getting the start for the Astros while Hogan Harris is starting for the Athletics. See who I like to pick up the win in today’s Houston Astros vs. Oakland Athletics showdown at Oakland Coliseum.

HOUSTON ASTROS VS OAKLAND ATHLETICS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Oakland Athletics +1.5 Runs

This game will be played at Oakland Coliseum at 9:40 ET on Thursday, July 20th.

WHY BET THE OAKLAND ATHLETICS:

  • The Astros are just 2-3 vs. the runline in their last five road games.
  • Oakland is riding a 2 runline win streak when going into a game as the underdog.
  • Opponents are hitting a healthy .330 against J.P. France in his last two starts.

HOUSTON ASTROS LOOK TO CONTINUE WINNING WAYS ON THE ROAD

Entering game 97 of their season, the Astros are 4.5 games out in the AL West and are in 2nd place. So far, their overall series record stands at 15-13-1. Houston’s road winning percent is currently 57.1% (28-21) compared to 53.2% at home (25-22).

J.P. France has had a solid season thus far, appearing in 12 games and recording a 4-3 record with an ERA of 3.31. His WHIP stands at 1.26, while his slugging percentage allowed is .391. France has tallied 50 strikeouts, averaging 6.37 K’s per nine innings pitched. He has been especially effective on the road, where he boasts a 3-2 record and 2.23 ERA, compared to his 1-1 home record and 5.84 ERA at home.

In his latest start, J.P. France squared off against the Angels, surrendering four runs on nine hits over 4 1/3 innings. Despite not earning the decision, the Astros emerged victorious with a 7-5 scoreline in the end.

Offensively, Houston is ranked 12th in the league with an average of 4.7 runs per game. When looking over their last five matchups, the Astros averaged 7 runs per contest, which is 3rd best in that span. In terms of their power numbers, Houston is 10th in all of baseball, with a total of 116 home runs.

Chas McCormick has been on a tear for the Astros over their last five games, leading the team in hits while batting .646. The outfielder has been a consistent contributor for Houston this season, with a .285 average and 35 RBIs.

WILL THE OAKLAND ATHLETICS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Oakland enters today’s matchup with an overall record of 27-71, placing them 5th in the AL West. The club has played in 29 series so far, and has a record of 6-22-1, including dropping each of their past two sets. The Athletics are 14-36 at home and 13-35 and 14-36 at home.

The Oakland Athletics will look to Hogan Harris to take the mound. The right-hander has a 2-3 record in 10 appearances this season, with an ERA of 6.51 and a K/9 rate of 7.66. His FIP is 4.85 and his opponents’ OBP is .343.

Hogan Harris’ most recent outing saw him take the mound for four innings. Despite his efforts, the Athletics were unable to come away with a win, falling to the Twins 10-7. Harris was charged with five runs on six hits, but did not factor into the decision.

During their last ten games, Oakland is the 19th ranked offense in terms of batting average. In these games, they have hit a combined .223 and are averaging 3.3 runs per game. Across the entire season, the Athletics are hitting .221 with an OBP of .300 while averaging 3.6 runs per contest. This figure puts them 27th in the league.

The Athletics have been dealt a blow with the news that Esteury Ruiz is out for today’s game. The infielder has been a key contributor to the team’s offense this season, batting .257 with one home run and 35 runs batted in.