The Houston Astros (28-35) travel to face off against the Los Angeles Angels (24-38) on Friday, June 7th. This game will be played at Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim and televised on None. The Angels are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Astros are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Cardinals. First pitch is set for 8:38 CT.
Astros vs Angels
Houston closed out their series vs. the Cardinals with a 4-2 loss. Heading into the game, the Astros were the heavy favorite at -156. Things started off well for the Astros, as they got on the board with a run in the 1st inning but gave up the lead right away as the Cardinals scored in the top of the 3rd.
Ronel Blanco got the start for the Astros and took the loss. He only lasted 5 2/3 innings, giving up four earned runs on five hits. Offensively, the Astros only had two fewer hits than the Cardinals but scored just two runs. Yainer Diaz and Trey Cabbage each had a homer, but the Astros couldn’t string together enough hits to get the win.
Houston is on the road today vs. the Angels, and they are 28-35 overall, putting them 3rd in the AL West. Currently, they trail the Mariners by 7.5 games in the division. So far, they have gone 13-11 in AL West matchups.
The Astros won the final two games of their series vs. the Cardinals, taking the series 2-1. At home, the Astros are 17-18 this year compared to an 11-17 mark on the road. This year, they are 6-13 as the road favorite and 22-28 overall as the favorite. Their overall series record is 9-10-1. Heading into today’s game, the Astros are 4-6 in their last 10 games.
Despite a run differential of exactly zero, the Astros have struggled to cover the run line this season, going 26-37 overall. They are just 11-17 on the run line on the road, and 7-6 as an underdog.
The Houston Astros are on the road today against the Los Angeles Angels. The over/under line for the game is set at 8.5 runs. The Astros have an over/under record of 23-37 this season and their games have averaged 8.8 runs per game. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 5-11. So far this season, 47.6% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs or higher.
Framber Valdez Gets The Start For The Astros
Framber Valdez is looking to build off his last outing, where he gave up just one earned run in seven innings of work. In that start vs. the Twins, he gave up just four hits and issued two walks. Looking back further, Valdez had a rough outing vs. the Angels on May 20th, where he gave up eight earned runs in five innings of work. Valdez has a record of 4-3 this season and an ERA of 3.95 to go along with a WHIP of 1.24. Opponents are batting .255 off Valdez this season. So far, he has made five quality starts.
Astros Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Astros are the MLB’s top team in terms of avoiding strikeouts, and they have the league’s best home run hitting offense. Overall, they are averaging 4.4 runs per game (13th) and have been even better at home, putting up 4.8 runs per contest. Houston’s team batting average of .257 is the 2nd best mark in the league, and they are also near the top of the league in slugging percentage and on-base percentage.
Kyle Tucker has been one of the league’s top power hitters this season, as his 19 homers are the best mark on the team and 2nd in the league. He also leads the Astros with 40 RBIs. Alex Bregman has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 9/23 with four homers over his last six games. Yordan Alvarez has also been swinging a hot bat, going 10/27 with three homers in his last seven games.
Heading into their last game vs. the Padres, the Angels closed out the series with a 3-2 win. Leading up to the game, they were the heavy favorite at +153. Offensively, the Angels scored their three runs on six hits and didn’t hit a home run.
José Soriano put together a good start for the Angels, going six innings and giving up just one earned run while striking out only one. However, he did get the win. The Angels’s bullpen was a little shaky, as Matt Moore picked up the save but also issued a walk and hit a batter.
After sweeping the Padres in their most recent series, the Angels will host the Astros with an overall record of 24-38. The Angels are in 5th place in the AL West, and they trail the Mariners by 11 games for the division lead. So far, they are just 4-5 in divisional matchups this year.
At home, the Angels are just 10-21 this year, but they have been better on the road at 14-17. This year, the Angels are 3-16 in day games. As the underdog, the Angels are 23-34 this year, and they have won three straight as the underdog. So far, they are just 1-4 when favored this year.
When the Angels win, they win big, with an average run margin of 3.5 runs per game. They have covered the run line in 36 of 57 games as the underdog, but are 0-5 as the favorite. Their overall run line record is 36-26, with a -0.8 run margin per game.
Today’s over/under line for the Los Angeles Angels’ game against the Houston Astros is set at 8.5 runs. The Angels have played in 15 games with over/under lines higher than 8.5 runs this season, and their games have averaged a combined 9.0 runs per game. Their over/under record for the season is 33-28, and their over/under record when the line is set at 8.5 runs is 13-12. The under has hit in each of their last four games.
Griffin Canning Gets The Start For The Angels
Griffin Canning is looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Mariners, as he gave up one earned run in 6 2/3 innings of work and took the loss. Looking at his overall numbers, Canning has made 12 starts and has a record of 2-5. His ERA for the season is 4.69, along with a WHIP of 1.37. Opponents are batting .256 off Canning this season. The right-hander has made three quality starts this year and is averaging 6.39 strikeouts per nine innings. Canning’s ERA at home is 4.54 compared to 5.64 on the road.
Angels Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Angels offense is averaging just 4.1 runs per game, which is 21st in the league. They have been even worse at home, averaging only 4 runs per contest. Overall, their team batting average of .236 is 15th in the league, and they are 7th in the league in home runs. Heading into the game, Luis Rengifo is on a five-game hitting streak and is batting .276 over his last eight games.
Los Angeles’ lineup is led by Taylor Ward, who is batting .253 for the season and has gone deep 11 times, which is 10th in the league. Jo Adell is also tied for the team lead in homers but is batting just .198 for the year. Mike Trout is 2nd on the team with 10 homers but is batting just .220 this season.
Astros vs Angels Prediction
Our prediction for today’s Astros vs. Angels game is to take the Angels on the money line, with the payout currently sitting at +153. We actually have the Angels winning this one by a final score of 6-5.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Griffin Canning finishing with six strikeouts, which is actually higher than Framber Valdez, who we have finishing with six as well. However, we do have Valdez finishing with a better ERA.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:June 7, 2024 Angels, Astros