The Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Angels square off in a rubber match on Sunday Night Baseball! This game will continue our MLB odds series as we hand out an Astros-Angels prediction and pick. We will also let you know how to watch the game.
The Astros took game one of the series 7-5. Jose Abreu and Kyle Tucker combined to go 5-7 in the game with two RBI and two runs scored. Five other players on the Astros recorded a hit in the game. Starting pitcher J.P France lasted less than five innings, so he picked up the no-decision. Phil Maton finished the fifth innings and earned his secon win of the season. Ryan Pressly notched his 21st save of the season in the win. For Los Angeles, Taylor Ward had two hits, including a home run. Mickie Moniak led the team with three hits, though. Shohei Ohtani suffered the loss after allowing four runs on five hits in just five innings of work.
Game two was a high-scoring affair. The Angels pulled off the win in extra innings 13-12. Ward and Moniak had three hits each to lead the team in that category. However, the Angels launched four home runs in the game. One of the home runs came off the bat of Ohtani for his 33rd of the season. Carlos Estevez needed just five pitched in the 10th innings to make three outs and earn in the win. Taylor Ward hit into a fielders choice to score the winning run. Four Houston, Mauricio Dubon had three hits, as did Chas McCormick. McCormick added a home run to his stat sheet along with Abreu.
Cristian Javier will start for the Astros while Tyler Anderson gets the ball for Los Angeles.
Here are the Astros-Angels MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Astros-Angels Odds
Houston Astros: -1.5 (+110)
Los Angeles Angels: +1.5 (-132)
Over: 10 (-105)
Under: 10 (-115)
How To Watch Astros-Angels
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN app
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Astros Could Cover The Spread
Cristian Javier has been on the struggle bus in has last three starts. It is worth noting that the Astros are 3-0 in those starts, though. However, that could change in this game. Javier has already faced the Angels twice this season. In those two starts, the right-hander has pitched 12 innings, allowed just three runs on nine hits and struck out 16. In those innings Javier has also walked just one. The Angels are batting .209 off Javier this season and the Astros have won both games. Although Javier has been struggling, the nearly two week break should have been a nice refresher for him as he faces a team that he has been dominating.
The Astros hit much better against left-handed pitching. Houston has a .262 batting average against lefties, which is almost 20 points better than their average against righties. With Tyler Anderson on the mound, the Astros have a great chance to stay hot with their bats. Houston has already scored 19 runs on 26 hits this series, so the All-Star break was much needed for them. If they can keep that up in a favorable matchup, the Astros should have no problem covering this spread.
Why Angels Could Cover The Spread
As mentioned, Javier has not been pitching well lately. This is his first start since July third, but that start along with the two previous were not good. In those three starts, Javier has allowed 18 earned run on 21 hits in just 10 2/3 innings. For some reason, he has become very hittable and teams are taking advantage. The Angels offense needs to attack Javier early and force him out of the game if they want to steal a series against Houston.
The Angels have been hitting just as good as the Astros this series. They have scored 18 runs on 27 hits while blasting five home runs in two games. Los Angeles is seeing the ball well, even without Trout in their lineup. The Angels have forced the Astros to use quite a few bullpen arms this series, so Houston's relief pitching is depleted. If the Angels can get to Javier early, the Astros are going to be forced to either ride him out or pitch a fatigued arm out of the bullpen. Los Angeles will need to keep up the offense in order to cover the spread, though.
Final Astros-Angels Prediction & Pick
The first two games of this series have been close and game three should be no different. However, the Astros hit better against lefties and they are 13-4 when Javier pitchers. I expect the Astros to come out and cover this spread. This series has also been high scoring, so I expect the over to hit, as well.
Final Astros-Angels Prediction & Pick: Astros -1.5 (+110), Over 10 (-105)
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