After game one ended in a rout, the Los Angeles Angels and the Houston Astros will meet for the second day in a row at Minute Maid Park as both sides try to add to their win total. Join us for our MLB odds series, where our Angels-Astros prediction and pick will be revealed.
Things could not have gone worse for the Angels in the opening game of this series, as Houston pounded LA with eleven hits and only let the Halos generate a pair of hits throughout nine innings. Despite the lackluster play on Friday, the Angels will try to even things up by sending out lefty Patrick Sandoval and his 3-2 record with a 2.63 ERA.
Another day, another dollar. Houston looked like their usual selves on Friday as pitcher Cristian Javier struck out an absurd 14 batters en route to the victory. Now seeking their 50th win of the season and fourth consecutive win, the Astros will call upon RPH Jose Urquidy who is 6-3 and possesses an earned-run average of 4.36.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Angels-Astros MLB odds.
MLB Odds: Angels-Astros Odds
Los Angeles Angels: +1.5 (-146)
Houston Astros: -1.5 (+122)
Over: 8 (-112)
Under: 8 (-108)
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Why The Angels Could Cover the Spread
Friday's shortcoming was the Angels' season in a nutshell over the course of the past month and a half. The culmination of poor play and sloppy mistakes were on full display, as not one particular unit in this one played up to standards. It was a disappointing night to say the least that started off on a positive note after Shohei Ohtani got the party started by sending the ball into the nighttime air with a solo shot to put the Angels up 1-0. It was all downhill after that, as by the third inning, LA was ready to pack up their things and head back to the hotel for the night.
In order to avoid another blowout loss, the Angels must show up at the plate and on the mound. Hitting-wise, Los Angeles struggled all night just to make contact, as they went down swinging a numerous amount of times. Not one individual throughout the lineup recorded more than one hit. Consider it an off night for the offense, but now at 37-42, the Angels can't afford many more games where they are off their game if they want any shot at the postseason. Scoring early and often in this series is as dire as it gets.
The arms on this roster weren't as sharp as well, but the pitching within this clubhouse is most likely the best part of Los Angeles' game. Pitchers are holding the opposition to a decently impressive .234 batting average as the halfway point of the season quickly approaches. With interim manager Phil Nevin serving his ten-game suspension for his participation in the chaotic brawl against the Mariners last week, the margin for error in a game against their divisional rivals is extremely slim.
Why The Astros Could Cover the Spread
What can't this Astros group do? Whether it's fouling off tough pitches during an at-bat and eventually reaching base or setting opposing hitters down in order throughout their lineup, Houston showed why they are one of the hottest teams in baseball on Friday. Not only are the Astros as hot as a firecracker, but their type of play certainly translates to victories during the long marathon of a baseball season. With each win that the Astros add to their resume, the further they extend their division lead and signal to the rest of the sport how dangerous they can be in 2022.
Houston erupted for six runs and had belted three home runs by the third frame, as that was all the scoring that the ‘Stros needed in order to secure yet another victory. On the season, the Astros are fifth in slugging percentage with a .420 mark. Sending baseballs out of the park is only one way of many that this team can beat you in, and this could be the case again with a lefty on the mound for Los Angeles and a surplus of right-handed batters existing throughout the Houston offensive attack.
Another element of Houston's game that could give them the spread-covering win will come from the rubber, as Houston has pitched to the tune of an elite 2.93 ERA and 41 quality starts from starters in the rotation. Even with the offense's ability to score in a hurry, this has been Houston's bread and butter for a majority of the year. Not to mention, but Jose Urquidy has never lost to the Angels, as he is 3-0 with a 4.03 ERA over seven career appearances against them.
Final Angels-Astros Prediction & Pick
Angels bettors would've loved to see even a little bit of fight from the team in Friday's beatdown, but the extent of the blowout loss leaves this an easy pick on this summer Saturday. The Angels' streaky hitting and suspect pitching is not to be trusted against a possible World Series caliber team in the Houston Astros.
Final Angels-Astros Prediction & Pick: Astros -1.5 (+122)
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