by Rod Pearson
Thursday, Jun 01, 2023
Game Time: 8:10 pm ET, Friday, June 2, 2023
Venue: Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX
Where to Watch: Sportsnet SW
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline odds: Angels +110, Astros -130; Over/Under: 7.5 runs
Bet365: Moneyline odds: Angels +110, Astros -130; Over/Under: 7.5 runs
BetMGM: Moneyline odds: Angels +110, Astros -135; Over/Under: 7.5 runs
Season Record
Los Angeles Angels: 30-27 (3rd place, AL West)
Houston Astros: 32-23 (2nd place, AL West)
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Recent Form
Los Angeles Angels: 6-4 last 10
Houston Astros: 6-4 last 10
Los Angeles Angels vs Houston Astros Preview and Analysis
The Angels are entering this game off of a win in their last game and won their 3-game series against the Chicago White Sox 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 30-27 record overall and have a road record of 15-14. This is the 2nd game of a 4-game series with the Astros on Friday with the series opener of this series still to be played on Thursday. Their offense ranks 6th in the MLB with a .759 OPS. Reid Detmers is their starting pitcher on Thursday while Shohei Ohtani is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 5-1 with a 2.91 ERA this season. His team won 2 of their last 3 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 1 ER, 0 HR, and 3 BB with 10 Ks on 6 hits through 6 IP against the Miami Marlins.
The Astros are entering this game off of a loss in their last game and lost their 3-game series against the Minnesota Twins 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 32-23 record overall and have a home record of 15-13. This is the 2nd game of a 4-game series with the Angels on Friday with the 1st game of this series still to be played on Thursday. Their offense ranks 22nd in the MLB with a .706 OPS. Framber Valdez is their starting pitcher on Thursday while Cristian Javier is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 6-1 with a 2.97 ERA this season. His team won their last 5 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 1 earned run, 1 homer, and 3 BB with 3 strikeouts on 4 hits through 5 innings played against the Oakland A’s.
Angels vs Astros Prediction
The current betting odds have the Angels listed as a slight underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Angels are sitting right around the .500 mark on the season but they have been playing a lot better in their games lately and have some momentum coming into this series. The Astros got off to a slow start this year and they have been trying to make a surge up the standings lately as they are only in 2nd place at the moment but they have hit a bit of a rough patch in their last few games. The Angels can take advantage of the Astros being not at their best here and the Astros offense still hasn't gotten hot yet as they have a bottom 10 offense in the league right now. The Angels have been a lot better on offense this season and they have their ace Ohtani on the mound here so he will give them a great chance to win by not giving up many runs in this game. Javier has been really good in his starts for the Astros lately but the Angels are going to have confidence from their last series and their bats will be lively in this game. The best way to place a bet here is on the Angels to win this game.
Angels Astros Prediction: Our MLB Pick for Friday, June 2, 2023 (8:10 pm ET start time) is Angels 6 Astros 2.
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MLB Betting Trends
Los Angeles Angels: 86-105 (-10.4 units) on the moneyline in road games. 75-93 (-28.6 units) on the moneyline against division opponents. SHOHEI OHTANI is 21-7 UNDER against division opponents.
Houston Astros: 68-56 (+10.4 units) on the moneyline when the money line is +125 to -125. 113-57 (+23.7 units) on the moneyline against division opponents. 6-3 UNDER when playing on Friday.
Key Injuries
Los Angeles Angels: B. Drury (3B) Ques Thurs - Arm. M. Moore (RP) Late June - Oblique. A. Warren (RP) out for season - Elbow. A. Rendon (3B) Early June - Groin. J. Quijada (RP) out for season - Elbow. J. Suarez (RP) Mid June - Shoulder. L. O'Hoppe (C) Late Aug - Shoulder. C. Rodriguez (RP) Out indefinitely - Shoulder. M. Stassi (C) Out indefinitely - Hip.
Houston Astros: J. Urquidy (SP) Late June - Shoulder. M. Brantley (DH) Early June - Shoulder. L. McCullers Jr. (SP) Mid July - Elbow. L. Garcia (SP) out for season - Elbow.
Notable Quotes
“Those are the guys you lean on. They can certainly put the team on their backs and carry us and that’s what they did today.” - Phil Nevin after his team’s win against the White Sox in their game on Wednesday.
“I had to go get him because his pitch count got real high. He had 100 pitches and we've got to take care of this guy. Then we couldn't close the floodgates.” - Dusty Baker after his team’s loss against the Twins in their game on Wednesday.
Starting Lineups
Los Angeles Angels
Mickey Moniak (L) RF
Mike Trout (R) CF
Shohei Ohtani (L) DH
Taylor Ward (R) LF
Matt Thaiss (L) C
Gio Urshela (R) 3B
Jared Walsh (L) 1B
Zach Neto (R) SS
Livan Soto (L) 2B
Houston Astros
Mauricio Dubon (R) 2B
Jeremy Pena (R) SS
Yordan Alvarez (L) DH
Alex Bregman (R) 3B
Kyle Tucker (L) RF
Jose Abreu (R) 1B
Chas McCormick (R) LF
Jake Meyers (R) CF
Martin Maldonado (R) C
Statistical Leaders
Los Angeles Angels
Batting Average: Livan Soto (.333)
Hits: Gio Urshela (58)
Home Runs: Shohei Ohtani (15)
RBI: Shohei Ohtani (38)
Stolen Bases: Shohei Ohtani (7)
Wins: Shohei Ohtani (5)
Saves: Carlos Estevez (13)
ERA: Ben Joyce (0.00)
Houston Astros
Batting Average: Jose Altuve (.324)
Hits: Alex Bregman (52)
Home Runs: Yordan Alvarez (14)
RBI: Yordan Alvarez (48)
Stolen Bases: Kyle Tucker (7)
Wins: Cristian Javier (6)
Saves: Ryan Pressly (10)
ERA: Phil Maton (0.68)
Managers:
Los Angeles Angels: Phil Nevin (2nd season)
Houston Astros: Dusty Baker (4th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
