The red-hot Houston Astros travel to Angel Stadium to take on the Los Angeles Angels for a Tuesday afternoon showdown. Houston opened the season with a dominant four-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics. Los Angeles had an impressive start of their own, winning their opening series against the Chicago White Sox. These two teams possess a ton of pop in their lineups, which should make this game a fun one to watch. It’s time to continue our MLB odds series and make an Astros-Angels prediction and pick.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Astros-Angels odds.
MLB Odds: Astros-Angels Odds
Houston Astros -1.5 (+155)
Los Angeles Angels +1.5 (-175)
Over 9 Runs (-105)
Under 9 Runs (-115)
Why The Astros Could Cover The Spread
The Houston Astros absolutely dominated the Oakland Athletics in their first four-game set of the season. They capped off the sweep with a 9-2 win on Sunday to improve to 4-0 on the young season. Jason Castro, Kyle Tucker, and Chase McCormick all homered in that game. The Astros have seen contributions from basically everyone this far. This team is led by third baseman Alex Bregman, who is currently hitting .500 with two home runs. Houston is 7-2 in their last nine games against right-handed pitchers.
The Astros will send out veteran right-hander Zack Greinke for his second start of the 2021 season. In his debut last week, Greinke tossed six scoreless innings while allowing just three hits and no walks. This was a promising sign for a crucial arm in the rotation that had an off-year in 2020 with a 4.03 ERA. He showed the league that he still has plenty left in the tank. Greinke is 6-5 with a 3.98 ERA in three career starts against the Los Angeles Angels.
Why The Angels Could Cover The Spread
The Los Angeles Angels look like a much-improved team this far. They have high expectations in 2021 with one of the best lineups in baseball. We all know what Mike Trout means to this team, but let's discuss another rising star. Shohei Ohtani seems like he is healthy and ready to take a major leap in his young MLB career. He had a historic first inning this week, hitting 101 MPH on the gun in the top half and blasting a 451-foot home run in the bottom half of the inning. He is probable to DH today and poses a huge threat in the two-spot for LA.
Los Angeles will send out right-hander Griffin Canning for the second time this season. Canning spent most of last year in the bullpen and went 2-3 with a 3.99 ERA. His fastball velocity has slightly dipped this season, which isn't promising for a guy that struck out 9.56 batters per nine innings last season. He saw the Astros just one time in 2020. He recorded just four outs in that game with six walks and three earned runs. The Angels will need a bounce-back performance from their young right-hander in Tuesday's game.
Final Astros-Angels Prediction & Pick
The Houston Astros lineup is red hot and gets a favorable matchup against a below-average arm that they absolutely crushed last season. Houston is surprisingly flying under the radar this year with lower expectations than in years past. This younger lineup still possesses a ton of pop and should rank among the best in the league. With Greinke on the bump, look for Houston to have some added confidence coming in as well. The Angels are certainly improving, but the pitching staff is still a weakness for a team that hasn't reached the postseason in years. Houston is ready for a BP session once again on Tuesday.
FINAL PICK: Houston Astros ML (+103)
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