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A series between two-division neighbors that have gone in opposite directions will take place as the Los Angeles Angels make the trip to Minute Maid Park to battle with the Houston Astros. Join us for our MLB odds series, where our Angels-Astros prediction and pick will be revealed.
It is well known that the Angels have struggled over the course of the past month and a half, but winning three of four has given this team and fan base a bolt of enthusiasm ahead of this weekend series against the Astros. In an attempt to dig themselves out of a hole, Los Angeles will send out righty Michael Lorenzen who is 6-5 with a 4.24 ERA on the year.
Meanwhile, the Astros have officially hit their stride and now sit at an impressive 48-27 record with the calendar officially reaching July. Winners of three consecutive games and five of their previous six, Houston will hope to continue on with their rolling ways with RHP flamethrower Christan Javier on the bump. Javier is 5-3 with a 2.73 in ten games started in 2022.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Angels-Astros MLB odds.
MLB Odds: Angels-Astros Odds
Los Angeles Angels: +1.5 (-138)
Houston Astros: -1.5 (+115)
Over: 8 (-114)
Under: 8 (-106)
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Why The Angels Could Cover the Spread
Storming out of the gates with one of the better records in baseball, the Angels have come down to Earth by playing extremely mediocrely. Obviously, a franchise-record 14-game losing streak that eventually saw the firing of Joe Maddon come into fruition did not do this team any favors, but LA is hoping they have put that long behind them and can look forward to start winning some much-needed games.
At first glance, LA is a middle-of-the-road hitting bunch that has scored 327 runs, which is good for 16th-most in baseball. In fact, over the course of their last 18 games, the Angels have only generated more than five runs in a game three times. With the amount of star power in this lineup, this is a pattern that needs to change if Los Angeles is to make a run at a playoff spot. The Angels are finally healthy, which means that there is no excuse to be able to muster up some offense.
While it was the hitting that got the Angels off to a hot start this season, it is now the pitching arms that are keeping this team afloat. With a 3.82 ERA and the sixth-best BAA at .233, the Halos are certainly capable of missing bats. The outcome of this one may fall on the shoulders of Michael Lorenzen. In his second career start, Lorenzen was pitted against the Astros and was shelled in 3 1/3 innings tossed, and surrendered four runs on four hits. The 30-year-old from Anaheim must be more efficient in act two if the Angels want any shot of cooling off the blistering Astros.
Why The Astros Could Cover the Spread
The Astros are the real deal. After defeating the Yankees 2-1 on Thursday, the Astros capped off a nine-game stretch versus the stellar New York teams by going 7-2 against them, which further showcased how dangerous this Houston roster can be when the postseason rolls around.
Even scarier, Houston has yet to hit with the highest of efficiency. Their greatest attribute has been the ability to rack up extra-base hits and to crush baseballs into the bleachers with a lethal .416 slugging percentage, but outside of that, Houston has had to grind out at-bat after at-bat. With an underwhelming .237 batting average, this lineup leaves a lot to be desired despite the fact that they have an abundant amount of talent. Regardless, this unit is seemingly due to break out at some point.
The reason for this squad's success? Look no further than the dominance from the pitching mound. In fact, there are very few teams that are as complete top-to-bottom than Houston. With an ERA below 3.00 at 2.96 to be exact, opposing hitters have found themselves only compiling a baffling .214 batting average against.
We last saw Christan Javier when he was single-handily dominating the Yankees by no-hitting them through seven innings before being pulled and watching the rest of the bullpen finish the job in the combined no-hitter. Javier certainly caught the attention of the baseball world with his career-high 13 strikeouts and only one walk issued in the flawless outing. In two appearances against LA, the filthy righty from the Dominican Republic has punched out seven Angels over 5 1/3 innings of work. If Javier pitches anything like he did against New York, then Los Angeles may be in for a humiliating beatdown.
Final Angels-Astros Prediction & Pick
There is enough talent to go around on both sides to form their own All-Star squad, as the Angels and Astros have the rosters to compete day in and day out. Translating that skill into wins has been a different story for Los Angeles, as Houston has put together the pieces that make them so treacherous. The Halos have what it takes to make this a ballgame, but they are in for an uphill climb.
Final Angels-Astros Prediction & Pick: Astros -1.5 (+115)
