Houston Astros
Los Angeles Angels
(-110/-110)+135
As the Los Angeles Angels prepare to host the Houston Astros on September 14, 2024, the stakes are high for both teams. The Astros, sitting at 78-68, are in a strong position, while the Angels, at 60-86, are looking to salvage their disappointing season. In their last matchup, the Angels fell to the Astros, continuing their struggles.
Tyler Anderson is set to take the mound for the Angels, boasting a respectable ERA of 3.50 this season, though his 4.82 xFIP suggests he may have benefitted from some luck. Anderson’s low strikeout rate (18.9 K%) could be a concern against a Houston offense that ranks 9th in the league. However, the Astros have shown a low walk rate, which may mitigate Anderson’s control issues. On the other side, Justin Verlander, with a less-than-ideal ERA of 5.30, is looking to bounce back after a rough season. His advanced projections indicate he might improve, especially considering he has been somewhat unlucky this year.
Offensively, the Angels rank 26th in MLB, struggling to generate runs, while the Astros sit comfortably in 9th place in offensive rankings. The Angels’ best hitter over the last week has been Niko Kavadas, who has been on fire with a .538 batting average. Meanwhile, Jon Singleton leads the Astros, hitting .500 in the same stretch.
With a game total set at 8.5 runs, the Astros are favored, but the Angels’ competitive edge at home, coupled with Anderson’s potential for a strong outing, may provide an interesting dynamic in this matchup.
Betting Trends
- Brandon Drury – Over/Under 0.5 Runs (+145/-185)Brandon Drury has hit the Runs Under in 8 of his last 10 games (+3.70 Units / 17% ROI)