Another busy night in the MLB is upon us as we have 15 games on Saturday, September 3, including this divisional duel, and here you can get the best Astros vs. Angels betting pick and odds.
Houston and Los Angeles will play the second of a three-game series at Angel Stadium of Anaheim, and the Astros are slight -115 moneyline favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, while the total is set at 8 runs. These American League West foes have faced 13 times this season, and the Astros lead 9-4.
Astros won a mini-series against the Rangers
The Houston Astros defeated the divisional rivals Texas Rangers in a two-game series on the road, bouncing back from the series lost to the Baltimore Orioles at home. Houston is clear atop of the American League with five wins ahead of the New York Yankees and 11 more than the AL West closest rivals Seattle Mariners.
The Astros scored all of their five runs in the opening innings in a 5-3 victory over the Rangers. Kyle Tucker and Jose Altuve contributed with two RBIs apiece, while David Hensley and Christian Vasquez combine for five hits. Cristian Javier improved to an 8-9 record after allowing three runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and three walks in 5.0 innings. Rafael Montero got his 10th save of the campaign.
Luis Garcia (11-8) is a probable starter for the Astros against the Angels on Saturday. It will be Garcia’s 24th start of the year and he is looking for the fourth consecutive win. The 25-year-old right-hander has a 4.14 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 132/40 K/BB ratio in 128.1 innings.
Angels provided another shock
Following a shocking sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays on the road, the Los Angeles Angels won the series against the New York Yankees at home. The Angels are clearly a whole different team with healthy Mike Trout, and it’s a shame he wasn’t healthy for the majority of the season – the Angels would have been wildcard candidates.
Shohei Ohtani starred in a 3-2 victory over the Yankees with a three-run homer in the 6th inning. Taylor Ward was the only Angel with a multi-hit display, while the Angels’ pitching staff held the Yankees to only three hits. Patrick Sandoval (5-9) got a win after surrendering two runs on three hits with seven strikeouts and two walks in 7.0 inning. Jimmy Herget earned his 5th save of the year.
Shohei Ohtani (11-8) will start for the 23rd time this season when he faces the Astros on Saturday. The 27-year-old two-way sensation owns a great 2.67 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 176/33 K/BB ratio across 128.0 innings of work.
Trends:
Houston:
- 2-6 in the last eight games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15
- 1-4 in the last five Saturday games
Los Angeles:
- 5-1 in the last six overall
- 5-1 in the last six games vs. a right-handed starter
- 4-0 in the last four games with the total set at 7.0-8.5
Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Angels Pick
Ohtani was excellent in his three starts (2-1) against the Astros this year with a microscopic 1.08 ERA over 16.2 innings. In 95 at-bats against Houston’s batters, Ohtani is .200 with just one run and six RBIs allowed.
I am backing the Japanese superstar to have another strong outing on Saturday, and he’s the biggest reason I am going with the Angels here. I know that the Angels are out of the playoff picture, but divisional games are always important. Los Angeles is in good form at the moment and another win against a favored rival is on the cards.
Pick: Take the Angels to win (-105)
The Total
Ohtani didn’t allow more than a run in each of his three starts against Houston, but I have to say that Luis Garcia also has very strong numbers against Los Angeles. Garcia’s biggest threat is Ohtani, who has a .294 batting average with two solo homers. Garcia experienced a tough August (5.28 ERA), his worst of the season, but he should be alright on Saturday and not allow more than three runs. Under is 6-2-1 in the Angels’ last nine games with the total set at 7.0-8.5.
Pick: Go Under 8.5 runs (-120)
