The Hosuton Astros take on the Los Angeles Angels. Check out our MLB odds series for our Astros Angels prediction and pick.
Jose Urquidy gets the call for the Astros, while Tucker Davidson takes the mound for the Angels.
Jose Urquidy has been a solid, competent back-end rotation pitcher for the Astros this season. He has a respectable 3.69 ERA, which is perfectly good on a team with quality hitters and a rotation which includes Justin Verlander (the American League Cy Young favorite), Lance McCullers, and Framber Valdez. Getting consistent innings from a back-end starter has helped the Astros manage the season without overextending their bullpen, which fits into their larger plans for the postseason.
Urquidy struggled in April, but from May onward, he has never had a month with an ERA higher than 3.91. His June ERA was 3.68. His July ERA was 2.73. His August ERA was 3.13. From a back-end rotation starter, that is far better than average. It's one of many reasons why the Astros have set the pace in the American League. They have the deepest pitching staff with the fewest glaring weaknesses. You will see plenty of rotations with one or two high-level pitchers, but then the quality sharply drops off at the back end. Not so with the Astros. Urquidy proves the point.
Tucker Davidson, since coming over from the Braves in a deadline deal, has been decent for the Angels. His first start with the Halos on Aug. 7 against the Mariners did not go well, but in the three starts since then, Davidson has been competent. He's not going to pitch deep into most games. He has pitched 15 innings in his last three starts. His main job is to avoid the big inning and get the game to the sixth inning with the team having a reasonable chance of winning. He has done that in his last three starts, allowing a total of five runs and no more than two runs in any individual start. The Halos will take that from their new acquisition. Davidson has helped the Angels beat the Twins and Blue Jays, and he pitched reasonably well against the Rays. This is a great sign heading into the offseason and spring training in 2023.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Astros-Angels MLB odds.
MLB Odds: Astros-Angels Odds
Houston Astros: -1.5 (-105)
Los Angeles Angels : +1.5 (-114)
Over: 9.5 (-115)
Under: 9.5 (-105)
Why The Astros Could Cover the Spread
The Astros scored one run in 12 innings against the Angels on Saturday night. Sure, most of the Astros' problems at the plate were related to the fact that Shohei Ohtani shut them down. Ohtani is an elite pitcher, and Houston couldn't solve him. However, the Astros couldn't even make a dent in the Angels' bullpen, which is very weak. More precisely, Houston couldn't score a run in three extra innings with the Manfred Man, a runner on second base to start the frame. That was an exceptionally bad hitting performance from Houston, easily one of the worst of the season for a very good team. You can bet that Houston will come out firing against Tucker Davidson, who is not Shohei Ohtani.
Why The Angels Could Cover the Spread
After winning Saturday night, the Angels have a chance to win yet another series against a good team. They swept the Blue Jays in Toronto a week ago. They have beaten the Twins in a series over the past month. They have become a better team in August and early September compared to the nightmare months of June and July, when they imploded and allowed the bottom to fall out. The Angels are not nearly as much of a pushover, and Tucker Davidson has been solid for them in recent weeks. They're not facing Verlander, Framber, or McCullers. They could easily win.
Final Astros-Angels Prediction & Pick
If Houston hits poorly in this game, after hitting so terribly on Saturday, it will rate as a surprise. Pick the Astros.
Final Astros-Angels Prediction & Pick: Astros -1.5
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