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The Houston Astros take on the Los Angeles Angels. Our MLB odds series has our Astros Angels prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Astros Angels.
The Houston Astros survived the first half of the 2023 MLB season. They lacked one superstar, Jose Altuve, in the early weeks of the season. They have been without Yordan Alvarez for the past several weeks. Altuve suffered another injury shortly before the All-Star break. That's a lot of missed production. Yet, the Astros did not fade away in the American League West and American League wild card races. They made up ground on the Texas Rangers, a team which struggled in the last three weeks before the All-Star break. They went through a very bumpy ride and yet have a very realistic shot at getting the No. 2 seed in the American League playoffs, which would mean a bye in the wild card series and home-field advantage in the ALDS. They aren't going to get the top seed — that will go to the American League East champion, either the Tampa Bay Rays or Baltimore Orioles — but a No. 2 seed would be a tremendous result given all their injuries, which include injuries to three regular rotation starters, Lance McCullers, Jose Urquidy, and Luis Garcia. Houston begins the second half of its season trying to defend its World Series title. A key series against the Los Angeles Angels is another proving ground for Dusty Baker's team.
Here are the Astros-Angels MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Astros-Angels Odds
Houston Astros: +1.5 (-146)
Los Angeles Angels: -1.5 (+122)
Over: 8 (-110)
Under: 8 (-110)
How To Watch Astros vs Angels
TV: AT&T SportsNet Houston (Astros) / Bally Sports West (Angels) / MLB Extra Innings
Stream: MLB.tv
Time: 9:38 p.m. ET/6:38 p.m. PT
*Watch Astros-Angels LIVE on fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Astros Could Cover The Spread
The Astros are going up against a Los Angeles team which has been hit hard by injuries. Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon got hurt late in the first half of the season, significantly reducing the Angels' firepower and overall balance. One of the central reasons the Angels were competitive in the first half of the season was that Trout offered protection for Shohei Ohtani in the batting order. Rendon offered another bat who balanced out the lineup. Now the Angels are shorthanded, and while closer Carlos Estevez has been spectacular this season by converting every save opportunity presented to him, the pre-ninth-inning parts of the bullpen have gotten weaker in recent weeks. The Angels crumbled in the last two weeks before the break, falling below .500 and sliding beneath the Seattle Mariners in the American League West standings. The Angels could very realistically plummet. They are vulnerable, in a bad position, and morale is low. The Astros can go in for a kill shot if they can sweep this series, but short of that, they're in a good position to win this one game on Friday.
Why The Angels Could Cover The Spread
The reason the Angels are favored over the Astros despite the Trout injury and their late slide before the All-Star break is simple: Shohei Ohtani is pitching and Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve aren't back in the Houston lineup. Ohtani isn't a dominant pitcher, but he has had several dominant games in the midst of some other more modest performances this season. He definitely rates as a well-above-average starting pitcher, which is remarkable given how elite he is as a hitter. He is the best all-around baseball player in the game today, steadily creating a body of work which — if sustained for the next seven years or so — will make him one of the very best baseball players who has ever lived.
Final Astros-Angels Prediction & Pick
You should stay away from this game, given how banged-up Houston is and given the Ohtani angle. It just feels like a coin flip, which is not a good context in which to bet. Maybe consider a live betting play, especially when Ohtani stops pitching and gives way to the L.A. bullpen.
Final Astros-Angels Prediction & Pick: Astros +1.5
