The Houston Astros (84-47) and Los Angeles Angels (57-74) will face off in a three-game series this weekend. Game 1 will be played on Friday, with the Halos set to host the Astros.
AL West Positions
Houston enters play in the midst of a three-game winning streak. Despite the recent success of the Seattle Mariners, the Astros still hold a convincing 11-game lead in the AL West.
Many people expected the Angels to compete for the division. Instead, they are almost 20 games under .500 and sitting in fourth place in the AL West. But they will aim to pull off the upset at home against the Astros.
It should be noted that the Angels have won four of their last five MLB games. First pitch is scheduled for Friday, September 2nd at 9:38 PM EST at Angel Stadium in Los Angeles, CA.
Let’s take a look at the Astros vs. Angels best bets and MLB picks.
Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Angels Matchup Information
The Astros are one of the best teams in baseball. The Los Angeles Dodgers are the only team with a better record than them in all of MLB. But Houston does lead the entire American League.
Meanwhile, the Angels are one of the most upsetting teams in baseball. Despite the greatness of Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout, the Angels continue to post underwhelming seasons.
One has to wonder if either player will be traded this off-season. With the Angels’ struggles, what are the Astros vs. Angels best bets?
MLB Performance Recap
The Angels surprisingly took two out of three against the New York Yankees at home this week. The Angels defeated New York 3-2 on Wednesday to clinch a series win.
For the Astros, they are fresh off a two-game sweep over the Texas Rangers. They defeated Texas 5-3 on Wednesday to earn the sweep. Both the Angels and Astros enter Friday playing well as of late.
Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Angels Analysis
The Astros are the unsurprising favorites despite playing on the road. Houston, as discussed earlier, is the American League’s best team.
Lance Mcullers Jr as Astros Starter
But the Angels are playing well right now and realistically could pull off the upset. For the Astros, Lance McCullers Jr (1-1, 1.69) is the scheduled starter for this game.
He should be able to perform well against this Angels team that ranks near the bottom of baseball in batting average, OBP, and slugging percentage. However, he will need to deal with Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.
Reid Detmers as Angels Starter
For the Angels, Reid Detmers (5-4, 3.47) will get the start. Detmers has been one of the team’s bright spots in 2022. He threw a no-hitter earlier in the year and has pitched well for the most part.
But Houston does feature a pitching advantage. They firmly expect to cover the run line in Anaheim despite both of these MLB teams playing well over the past week.
Odds Breakdown
- Houston Astros
Houston is eighth in MLB with a 70-61 against the run line record in 2022. They also hold a respectable 36-32 against the run line record on the road.
The Astros have displayed the ability to consistently cover the odds. Believe it or not, there are good teams that struggle in this department.
But Houston’s quality brand of baseball often leads to convincing victories. This is a very risky team to place your bets against.
- Los Angeles Angels
The Angles are right around league average against the run line overall. They hold a mark of 62-69 on the season.
They are 29-36 against the run line in front of their home faithful. The fact is that they have not been great at covering the run line.
But there are a number of teams that are below them. So the Angels are a club that is capable of pulling off upsets.
Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Angels Betting Pick and Prediction
The Houston Astros are the team to beat on Friday. But can Reid Detmers and the Angels upset the given MLB odds? What are the Astros vs. Angels best bets for Friday?
Which Team You Should Bet On this Competitive Game?
I expect this to be a competitive game. But advising against betting on Houston would be an extremely risky proposition.
Lance McCullers has been fantastic since returning from injury and will give the Astros an opportunity to earn the win. In the end, Houston is the pick to click.
MLB Pick: Astros (-140)
MLB Pick: Astros -1.5 (+115)
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