Houston Astros at Los Angeles Angels Betting Pick
A pair of American League West teams will square off on Friday in the first of a three-game series. The Houston Astros are on the road at the Los Angeles Angels.
The Astros come into the game with a 50-41 record. That’s good enough for second place in the division as they look to chase down state foe and divisional rival Texas. The Astros lost their final game before the All-Star Break to Seattle.
The Angels, they are looking to get back on track. The Angels were swept by the Dodgers before the break. Los Angeles is now 45-46 on the season, fourth place in the American League West.
The Angels are favorites at home in this game. Despite Houston having the more well-rounded team, Ohtani and the Angels are favorites. You can grab underdog Houston at +135 or take the favorite – Angels at -155.
Ohtani Gets Ball in Opener of 2nd Half
Shohei Ohtani is going to get the baseball for the Angels in this one. The 29-year-old from Japan will throw from the right side, despite hitting from the left side. Ohtani is 7-4 on the season, with a 3.32 earned run average. The ace for the Angels has thrown 100.1 innings on the season and struck out 132 batters.
With the bat, Ohtani has been the man for the Angels as well. Especially with the absence of Mike Trout, Los Angeles has needed all his production. Ohtani is hitting .302 and slugged 32 home runs on the season. Trout is still second on the team with 18 home runs, despite playing in 81 games this season.
The Angels are scoring 4.9 runs per game and have hit 135 home runs. Both are in the Top 10 in Major League Baseball. The problem comes from the pitching. Los Angeles is allowing 4.8 runs per game and allowing teams to get n base way too often. Opponents are hitting .246 against them.
Houston Counters with Rookie
The Houston Astros will counter with a 23-year-old rookie. J.P. France will make his 11th start of the season. France is coming off an outing before the All-Star Break, where he went six strong innings, allowing just three runs. On the season, France is 4-3 with a 3.26 earned run average. He has struck out 48 batters and walked just 21.
Houston starts the second half with five guys in double figures in home runs hit. The top threat for Houston has been Yordan Alvarez. The slugger has 17, while Kyle Tucker is next with 13. Tucker is also at the top of the team’s batting average, with a .288 on the season.
Houston, as a team, is hitting .247 while scoring 4.6 runs per game. The pitching for the Astros is tied for 3rd in Major League Baseball, allowing just four runs per game.
Ohtani Grabs Win for Angels
Where there is no doubt the better baseball team here is the Houston Astros; the better-starting pitcher for this game is Shohei Ohtani. One of the best pitchers in the game is going to have an outing he will remember.
The Angels are not out of the postseason picture, and they know they need wins badly. Take the Angels to win the opening game of the series on Friday over the Astros. The bet here is the Los Angeles Angels -155.
