Astros vs. Athletics (July 10): Can Oakland upset the odds for the series win?

After taking two of three at home against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Oakland Athletics are looking to do the same against the Houston Astros in this afternoon’s series finale at Oakland Coliseum.

After winning just one series in all of June, the A’s will eclipse that number with a win in this matchup, which sees Cole Irvin take the mound opposite Houston’s Jake Odorizzi.

In yesterday’s game, the Astros jumped out to an early lead thanks to two second inning runs. But those would be their only runs of the game, and the A’s scored all of three of theirs in a three-run fourth inning.

Framber Valdez pitched a complete game for the Astros, but a strong start for Zach Logue and four scoreless innings by the bullpen trumped that effort in Oakland’s 3-2 win.

Houston has been very, very good at responding well after a loss, and they will hope to produce yet another bounce-back win in this matchup. But they will face a challenge from A’s pitcher Cole Irvin, who has been excellent at home thus far this season.

Houston Astros vs. Oakland Athletics Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Houston Astros (55-29, 28-17 away, 1st in the AL West) vs. Oakland Athletics (29-57, 11-30 home, 5th in the AL West)
• Venue & Location: Oakland Coliseum (Oakland, California)
• Date: Sunday, July 10, 2022
• Game Time: 4:07 p.m. Eastern Time (1:07 p.m. local time)
• TV Broadcast/Streaming Info: AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Astros), NBC Sports California (Athletics), MLB Extra Innings/MLB.TV (subscription package)

Astros vs. Athletics Pitching Matchup

• Houston Astros: Jake Odorizzi (2022: 8 starts, 3-2, 4.04 ERA)
• Oakland A’s: Cole Irvin (2022: 14 starts, 3-6, 3.55 ERA)

Astros vs. Athletics Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline. Odds from our other top reviewed and recommended online sports betting sites may also be included in this article.

Moneyline

• Houston Astros -186
• Oakland Athletics +156

Over/Under

• OVER 8 (-118)
• UNDER 8 (-104)

Run Line

• Houston Astros -1.5 (-110)
• Oakland Athletics +1.5 (-110)

Will Irvin Go Unrewarded Again for a Solid Start Against Houston?

On June 1, Irvin started at home against the Astros and allowed just one run, six hits, and two walks in 5.2 innings. He left trailing 1-0, but the A’s rallied and took a lead into the ninth. However, Houston scored four runs in their final at-bat and went on to win 5-4.

That isn’t the only time this season that Irvin has pitched well but has had no rewards to show for it. Last Monday, he picked up his first win since April 24, allowing just one run and four hits (and no walks) in eight excellent innings in a 5-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

In between his second and third wins of the season, Irvin had made eight starts. In those eight starts, he had four quality starts and six starts in which he allowed three or fewer runs.

But the A’s have scored three or fewer runs in 10 of Irvin’s 14 starts, including six of the eight starts that occurred between his two most recent wins.

The A’s scored five runs in each of their two wins against the Blue Jays, but that hasn’t turned into a sustained offensive surge, as they have scored six runs in three games since.

So, Irvin will likely need to be pretty stingy today for the A’s to have a chance against the Astros. That’s not asking too much, considering his numbers at home this season.

Home and Away Splits for Cole Irvin in 2022

• Home (seven starts): 2-1, 1.49 ERA, 42.1 IP, 32 H, 8 R (7 ER), 0 HR, 10 BB, 28 K, 0.99 WHIP, .206 OBA
• Away (seven starts): 1-5, 5.27 ERA, 41 IP, 46 H, 25 R (24 ER), 11 HR, 8 BB, 28 K, 1.32 WHIP, .280 OBA

But he is up against an opponent with a pretty formidable record in the scenario that they are facing today. Following a loss, Houston is 20-8 this season, and 15 of those 20 wins have come by multiple runs.

Odorizzi was a bit rusty in his first start since a scary ankle injury in mid-May, allowing five runs and nine hits in four innings against the Royals on Monday, a game in which Houston pulled out a 7-6 win.

But to the point of his injury, he had allowed three runs (two earned) in 22.2 innings in a four-start stretch. And with some action under his belt, he should fare far better against the A’s, who don’t perform well against right-handed pitchers.

Overall, Oakland is hitting just .206 against righties, and in games started by a righty, they are hitting just .204 and averaging just 3.1 runs per game.

Houston Astros vs. Oakland Athletics Prediction and Best Bets

Astros vs. A’s Prediction: Astros to win

Astros vs. A’s Best Bets: Astros -1.5 (-110) & Athletics team total under 3.5 runs (-127 at BetUS)

With how well Irvin is pitching at home, the former bet is certainly a risky one, sure.

But I feel pretty confident backing the trend that has played out rather frequently this season and the fact that the A’s are unlikely to do much at all at the plate.

You can find Astros -1.5 at -110 or thereabouts at most top sportsbooks, which is pretty good value given the matchup and that only 15 of their 55 wins this season (27.3 percent) have been one-run wins.

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