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Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Angels Preview: Houston has great value against the struggling Angels
Tonight, the Houston Astros will hit the road to begin their series with the Los Angeles Angels. The Astros have been one of the best road teams in baseball, with a 29-17 record away from home. The Angels have been mediocre at home with a 21-23 record in Los Angeles. The division rivals will lock horns in what seems to be a very competitive game.
Below, you will find a brief preview of each team followed by a prediction for the game.
Houston Astros Preview:
"Road trip continues in SoCal" - Astros
The Houston Astros pitching staff has been amazing this season. They rank second in the league in team ERA and first in bullpen ERA. Houston hasn't seen the same offensive production from their lineup that they are used to, but the pitching staff has most definetily picked up the slack.
The Astros will trot Luis Garcia out to the mound tonight. Garcia struggled in his last start, giving up five runs to the Kansas City Royals in just over six innings of work. He has faced this Angels lineup once already this season, where he pitched well enough to pick up a win in that contest. He will be asked to navigate some talented bats in the Los Angeles lineup.
The Houston Astros offense has the same core that they've had for their playoff runs. They are led by Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, and Alex Bregman. The three will be asked to contribute runs to the cause tonight as they face a tough task against Noah Syndergaard. The key to victory for the Houston Astros is to get into the Angels bullpen early.
Los Angeles Angels Preview:
"Back at the big A to face the Astros" - Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels were just swept in a four-game series by the Baltimore Orioles. After a great start to the season, the Angels have fallen into a bad slump. This is especially true for the offense, which has gone from ranking in the top five to now ranking 25th in the MLB. With names like Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani in the lineup, that's very surprising.
The Angels will send Noah Syndergaard to the mound in tonight's game. Syndergaard has been the victim of not getting run support from his offense. He has had three quality starts since the beginning of June that resulted in a losing decision. That's not something pitchers love to see. However, Syndergaard has continued to perform and has been the Angels' most consistent arm to this point.
The key to victory for the Angels is to get some run support for Noah Syndergaard. That will start with Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, but they will need all nine hitters to step up their game.
Pick/Prediction: LEAN Astros ML (-125)
Just going with a lean here for one big reason. The odds seem way too favorable to be true; this is a classic trap line. The Angels have lost 10 games in a row and the Astros are one of the best road teams in the MLB. Considering this, the odds should be a lot higher than -125. However, the Astros seem to be the safer play.
