Los Angeles Angels vs Houston Astros Preview
At 9:38 PM ET, the Astros and Angels face off in an AL West matchup. This one is taking place at Angel Stadium of Anaheim and the forecast calls for clear skies and temperatures in the mid-70s. Houston is currently on a two-game winning streak and leads the AL West with a record of 79-68, while the Angels are 5th in the division at 60-87.
Justin Verlander will start for the Astros, while the Angels are sending Tyler Anderson to the mound. On the money line, the Astros are the heavy favorite at -176, while the Angels are sitting at +148. The over/under line is currently at 8.5 runs, and the game can be seen on BSW.
Check out BetCoco for Los Angeles Angels – Houston Astros odds
Los Angeles Angels vs. Houston Astros Trends and Key Stats
- The Astros are 2-3 in their five most recent road games, including a 2-3 runline record.
- On the opposing side, the Angels have a 1-4 (SU) record, along with a 1-4 record in their last five home contests.
- Over their last ten games, the Astros have a 4-6 straight-up record when playing as the favorite, along with a 4-6 record vs. the runline.
- When playing as the underdog, the Angels have gone 2-8 against the runline, with a straight-up record of 2-8 over their last ten games.
Houston picked up a 5-3 road win over the Angels in the most recent game of this series. The Astros had a two-run lead after the 2nd inning and added three more runs in the 3rd. As for the Angels, they scored their first run in the 4th and added two more in the 5th.
Yusei Kikuchi got the win for the Astros, going seven innings and giving up three earned runs. He finished the game with six strikeouts but issued two walks. Josh Hader got the save. Samuel Aldegheri had a rough outing for the Angels, taking the loss after going just two innings and giving up four earned runs.
Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez each homered for the Astros, while Victor Caratini went 2/4 with an RBI. Mauricio Dubon and Jeremy Pena each had two hits and scored a run for Houston’s offense.
Los Angeles Angels vs Houston Astros Prediction
The Astros are 79-68 overall this season, and they lead the AL West by 4.5 games over the Mariners. Houston is on a two-game winning streak, and they took the first game of this series vs. the Angels. So far, they are 23-20 in divisional matchups.
At home, the Astros have gone 42-32 this season, and they are just above .500 at 37-36 on the road. As the favorite, the Astros are 61-49 this year and 18-19 as the underdog. Their overall series record is 24-20-2.
When the Astros are favored, they are just 50-60 against the run line. When they are underdogs, they are 25-12. Houston’s average run margin in wins is +3.8, and in losses, it’s -3.1. The Astros are 75-72 against the run line overall, and they are 40-33 on the run line on the road. Their overall run differential is +0.6 runs per game, but on the road, it drops to +0.2. At home, it’s +1.0.
The Houston Astros are on the road today against the Los Angeles Angels. The over/under line for the game is set at 8.5 runs. The combined run average for Astros games this season is 8.6 runs per game. Houston has an over/under record of 60-82 this season, and their games have had an average over/under line of 9 runs. When the line has been set at 8.5 runs, the Astros have a record of 19-28. This season, 42 of their games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs, accounting for 28.6% of their games.
Justin Verlander is looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Diamondbacks, where he gave up 8 earned runs in 3 innings of work. In that outing, he gave up 2 homers. Verlander has taken the loss in each of his last four outings and has an overall record of 3-6. His ERA for the season is 5.30, and he has a WHIP of 1.38. Looking at his home/road splits, Verlander is 3-3 on the road with a 4.71 ERA. At home, he is 0-3 with a 9.02 ERA. So far, he has made 14 appearances and five have been quality starts.
Over the past 15 games, the Astros have been one of the league’s top offenses, averaging 5.1 runs per game. For the season, they are 12th in the league at 4.6 runs per contest. Houston has been a good home team this season, averaging 4.9 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .262, which is the 3rd best mark in the league. The Astros also have the 3rd fewest strikeouts in the league.
Yordan Alvarez comes into the game as the Astros’ top hitter, with a batting average of .310 to go along with a league-leading 33 home runs. Over his last eight games, Alvarez has three homers and nine RBIs. Jose Altuve has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 13/29 in his last seven games with a home run.
With an overall record of 60-87, the Angels trail the Astros by 19 games in the AL West. Currently, they are 5th in the division and trail the Athletics by 4.5 games for the 4th spot in the division. Los Angeles is on a three-game losing streak, dropping the series opener vs. the Astros and have lost two straight series.
At home, the Angels are 30-43 this season, and they are 30-44 on the road. This year, the Angels are just 6-15 when favored and 24-33 as the home underdog. So far, they have gone 20-23 in divisional games.
When the Angels win, they do so by an average of 3.1 runs per game, but when they lose, they lose by an average of 3.6 runs per game. They have a run line record of 75-72, but they have been a better bet as the underdog, going 70-56 against the run line. Their overall run differential is -0.9 runs per game.
The Los Angeles Angels have an over/under record of 70-71 this season, with an average combined run average of 8.8 runs per game. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 30-26. Overall, 50 of their games have had over/under lines set higher than 8.5 runs, accounting for 34.0% of their games.
Tyler Anderson gets the start for the Angels today and comes in with a record of 10-12 and an ERA of 3.50. So far this season, he has made 28 starts, and opponents are batting .219 off the left-hander. Anderson’s WHIP for the season is 1.23. In his last outing, Anderson finished with a no-decision, giving up one earned run in five innings of work. Before that, he had gone three straight starts without giving up a homer. Anderson has allowed at least one homer in four of his last five outings.
So far this season, the Angels offense has been one of the worst in the league, averaging just 3.9 runs per game, which is 27th in the MLB. They also have one of the worst team batting averages in the league at just .229. As a team, they are also near the bottom of the league in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS.
One of the few bright spots in the Angels lineup has been Taylor Ward, who is batting .246 for the season and has gone 8/29 (.276) over his last eight games. During this stretch, he has hit two home runs and has six runs scored. Zach Neto is also having a solid season at the plate, with a batting average of .254 and 21 homers.
Our predicted final score for this game is 6-4 in favor of the Astros, and with the money line payout for an Astros win sitting at -176, we would recommend taking the over at 8.5 runs. Our prediction is that the Astros will score the majority of these runs, and you could also look to take their team total over if that is an option.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Justin Verlander is projected to finish with seven strikeouts, and Tyler Anderson is projected to finish with just four. If you’re looking for a player prop bet, you could look to take Verlander’s strikeout total.
Los Angeles Angels vs Houston Astros Betting Tips
- Take the Astros on the moneyline
- The Astros should also cover at -1.5
- Projecting a combined 10 runs, we like the over
Los Angeles Angels Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Brandon Drury | Questionable | Hamstring |
| Mike Trout | Out | Knee |
| Matt Moore | Out | Elbow |
| Kevin Pillar | Out | Thumb |
| Anthony Rendon | Out | Back |
| Robert Stephenson | Out | Elbow |
| Carson Fulmer | Out | Elbow |
| Luis Rengifo | Out | Wrist |
| Jo Adell | Out | Oblique |
| José Soriano | Out | Arm |
| Patrick Sandoval | Out | Arm |
| Michael Stefanic | Questionable | Calf |
| Andrew Wantz | Out | Elbow |
| José Marte | Out | Illness |
| Bryce Teodosio | Questionable | Finger |
| Ben Joyce | Out | Shoulder |
| Kelvin Caceres | Out | Lat |
Houston Astros Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Kendall Graveman | Out | Shoulder |
| Lance McCullers Jr. | Out | Forearm |
| Cristian Javier | Out | Elbow |
| Luis Garcia | Out | Elbow |
| Chas McCormick | Out | Hand |
| Bennett Sousa | Out | Shoulder |
| José Urquidy | Out | Elbow |
| Penn Murfee | Out | Elbow |
| Oliver Ortega | Out | Elbow |
| J.P. France | Out | Undisclosed |
