AL West division rivals will clash as the Houston Astros (28-35) travel to face the Los Angeles Angels (24-38) on Friday, June 7, at 9:38 pm ET at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. The Astros have an appealing opportunity with a moneyline at -175.
The Astros recently had their two-game win streak snapped when they fell short 4-2 against the St. Louis Cardinals. They are 3-2 in their last five games coming into this battle, with an excellent opportunity to get back on track.
They will start Framber Valdez (4-3) on the mound with a 3.95 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP, which slightly puts him ahead of his current opponent. Their team ERA comes in at 4.27, so he has a good shot at keeping them in contention defensively.
Kyle Tucker will be critical to watch here, as he leads them with 40 RBIs and 19 home runs so far. Jeremy Peña can also do damage at the plate with a .305 batting average.
The Astros' batting average is .257, and they are giving up .241 in return. This is a solid difference between the two, but they will be at their best if they can drive a wedge further between these two stats.
The Angels have won their last three consecutive games heading into this series. They swept the San Diego Padres, with their final performance being a 3-2 finish in Game 3.
Griffin Canning (2-5) can shine here against a formidable team. He currently leads with a 4.69 ERA and a WHIP at 1.37. With their team ERA at 4.49, he has some work to help bring that number down.
The Angels' offense runs through Taylor Ward, who leads with 11 homers, 34 RBIs, and a .253 batting average. Logan O'Hoppe leads the team with a .254 batting average, so look for him potentially having a breakout game.
Their overall offense at the plate has been sluggish but improving. They currently average .236 but give up .236 in return. They must be aggressive offensively or lock down defensively to win this game.
MyBookie offers their MLB betting odds for this showdown, with the Astros favored to find a way to win. According to market analysis, the Astros have a 55.0 percent likelihood of winning on the road.
Looking at the stats, the Astros have a slight edge in pitching and on offense with their batting average as a team. This could be enough for them to take over in Game 1. The Astros are an appealing moneyline choice.
