The A's won at home on Wednesday, but that is all the winning they've done at 1-9. The Astros haven't been that much better at 5-5, but they are on a 6-0 run vs Oakland this year. They haven't been getting their usual fine pitching lately, but you can't blame it on Thursday's starter, right hander Ty Frances. The Late bloomer has been a steady presence in the Astros rotation. He has allowed 3 ER or fewer and generally pitched into the 6th since the beginning of June. He has been especially sharp in away games. The Astros haven't given France much run support but they will have their chances against lefty A's rookie Hogan Harris. Harris is an occasional starter/long reliever who has had poor results in his last three games, giving up more than a run an inning. The A's bullpen is a mess this year and even with the Astro's pen underachieving lately, I still favor the Astros in the later innings.
Houston is a good road team and tough on left handed pitching this season. The A's are hitting right handers at just a .216 clip and are a very poor road team.
The Astros are heavily favored, but a more than acceptable bet on the run line. Take Houston - 1 1/2.