by Rod Pearson
Thursday, Jun 30, 2022
Game Time: 8:10 pm ET, Friday, July 1, 2022
Venue: Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX
Where to Watch: Apple TV+
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline odds: Angels +140, Astros -165; Over/Under: 8 runs
Bet365: Moneyline odds: Angels +145, Astros -165; Over/Under: 8.5 runs
BetMGM: Moneyline odds: Angels +125, Astros -155; Over/Under: 8.5 runs
Season Record
Los Angeles Angels: 37-41 (3rd place, AL West)
Houston Astros: 47-27 (1st place, AL West)
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Recent Form
Los Angeles Angels: 5-5 last 10
Houston Astros: 7-3 last 10
Los Angeles Angels vs Houston Astros Preview and Analysis
The Angels won 3 of their last 4 games and enter this game off of a win. They won their last series against the Chicago White Sox 2-1 in a 3-game series. They enter this game with a 37-41 record overall and have a road record of 16-18. This is the series opener of a 3-game series with the Astros on Friday and they have Thursday off as a rest day. Their offense ranks 15th in the MLB with a .709 OPS. Shohei Ohtani was their starting pitcher on Wednesday while Michael Lorenzen is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 6-5 with a 4.24 ERA this season. His team lost their last 2 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last start, he allowed 2 ER, 0 HRs, and 4 BB with 5 Ks on 4 hits through 3 IP against the Seattle Mariners.
The Astros enter this game on a 2 game winning streak. They won their last series against the New York Mets 2-0 completing the sweep in a 2-game series. They enter this game with a 47-27 record overall and have a home record of 20-11. This is the 1st game of a 3-game series with the Angels on Friday with a 1-off game against the New York Yankees still to be played on Thursday. Their offense ranks 7th in the MLB with a .736 OPS. Luis Garcia is on the mound on Thursday while Cristian Javier will be throwing the first pitch in this game on Friday. He is 5-3 with a 2.73 ERA this season. His team won their last 2 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last start, he allowed 0 ER, 0 HRs, and 1 BB with 13 Ks on 0 hits through 7 IP against the New York Yankees.
Angels vs Astros Prediction
The current betting odds have not been listed for this game yet. The Astros have been playing very well in their games recently and have been pitching well all season. Their pitching just stunted the Yankees in their series last weekend and they have one of their better pitchers starting in this game as well. Javier has been great all season and besides 1 or 2 bad starts, he has been solid and does not allow many runs in his starts. The Angels had a great start to the season but suffered a very long losing streak which put them under .500 and even caused their manager to be canned. They have not been able to recover since then though and now they will be playing one of the best teams in the MLB on the road here. The Astros have been playing very well and they are going to start catching fire just like the Yankees soon as they chase the Yankees down for the best record in the MLB. The best way to place a bet here is on the Astros to win this game on the runline.
Angels Astros Prediction: Our MLB Pick for Friday, July 1, 2022 (8:10 pm ET start time) is Astros 4 Angels 1.
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MLB Betting Trends
Los Angeles Angels: 37-41 (-13.6 Units) ML in all games. 26-30 (-11.1 Units) ML against right-handed starters. 16-8 UNDER after allowing 2 runs or less.
Houston Astros: 47-27 (+9.7 Units) ML in all games. 14-9 (+5 Units) ML when the money line is +125 to -125. 46-24 UNDER in all games.
Key Injuries
Los Angeles Angels: M. Duffy (3B) Out indefinitely - Back. A. Rendon (3B) out for season - Wrist. D. Fletcher (SS) Mid July - Groin.
Houston Astros: J. Pena (SS) Ques Thurs - Mouth. Y. Alvarez (DH) Ques Thurs - Head. M. Brantley (LF) Out indefinitely - Shoulder.
Notable Quotes
"This one was huge for us because we wanted to win the series, and it's going to lead to better stuff down the road." - Shohei Ohtani after their win against the White Sox on Wednesday.
"He's the guy that stops losing streaks. He creates winning streaks." - Dusty Baker after his team’s win against the Mets on Wednesday.
Starting Lineups
Los Angeles Angels
Taylor Ward (R) RF
Mike Trout (R) CF
Shohei Ohtani (L) P
Jared Walsh (L) 1B
Luis Rengifo (S) 2B
Max Stassi (R) C
Brandon Marsh (L) LF
Andrew Velazquez (S) SS
Tyler Wade (L) 3B
Houston Astros
Jose Altuve (R) DH
Jeremy Pena (R) SS
Yordan Alvarez (L) LF
Alex Bregman (R) 3B
Kyle Tucker (L) RF
Yuli Gurriel (R) 1B
Aledmys Diaz (R) 2B
Jason Castro (L) C
Jake Meyers (R) CF
Statistical Leaders
Los Angeles Angels
Batting Average: Taylor Ward (.312)
Hits: Shohei Ohtani (75)
Home Runs: Mike Trout (23)
RBI: Shohei Ohtani (49)
Stolen Bases: Andrew Velazquez (10)
Wins: Shohei Ohtani (7)
Saves: Raisel Iglesias (15)
ERA: Jhonathan Diaz (0.00)
Houston Astros
Batting Average: Yordan Alvarez (.316)
Hits: Yordan Alvarez (75)
Home Runs: Yordan Alvarez (23)
RBI: Yordan Alvarez (56)
Stolen Bases: Kyle Tucker (14)
Wins: Justin Verlander (10)
Saves: Ryan Pressly (16)
ERA: Ryne Stanek (0.71)
Managers:
Los Angeles Angels: Phil Nevin (Interim)
Houston Astros: Dusty Baker (3rd 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.
