The Astros and Angels begin a four-game set on Friday, Aug. 29. This is the third series of the season between these division foes.
Houston is a -169 favorite, while Los Angeles is +138 on DraftKings Sportsbook. The game total is set at over/under nine runs.
Here’s my prediction and pick for Friday’s Astros vs. Angels matchup.
Astros vs. Angels prediction
The Astros have had a relatively easy past two series, facing the Orioles and Rockies. They won both and now enter another advantageous series against the Angels.
It’s the third time these teams meet for a series this year with Houston winning the first two. Cristian Javier is starting for the Astros tonight. He has a 5.40 ERA through 10 innings this season after debuting on Aug. 11.
There isn’t much to go off of this season with such a small sample size, but Javier has kept his outings short. He pitched five innings in his first game against the Red Sox and then five total innings across two games against the Orioles.
The right hander is returning from Tommy John surgery that also cut his 2024 season short. He hasn’t pitched a full year since 2023 when he had a 4.56 ERA. It’s hard to believe he’ll pitch deep into this game, so it’ll be on the Astros’ bullpen to finish the job.
Houston’s bullpen has a 3.72 ERA, which ranks eighth in the majors. It’s a reliable unit that’ll benefit from the day off on Thursday.
Tyler Anderson is starting for the Angels and has a 4.73 ERA through 131.1 innings this season. This is a typical year for Anderson; aside from a select couple years, he’s held an ERA above four.
Anderson allowed four earned runs in five of his past seven starts, with the two exceptions being two-run games. It’s very likely that Houston will get some runs on the board early tonight.
That said, the Astros’ offense ranks 21st in runs per game this season. Will Anderson wake up a sleeping offense or will he silence the lineup like he did on April 12 against Houston?
The Angels won that matchup 4-1 as Anderson pitched 5.2 innings of shutout ball. He allowed just one hit but walked four batters.
Astros vs. Angels pick, best bet
The Astros are the better team and have proven that, winning four of the six games against the Angels this year. That said, Los Angeles has won twice — one in each series thus far.
Tonight is a good chance for the Angels to win again with Anderson on the mound. He pitched well against the Astros in April, so there’s belief that he can do it again.
Take the Angels as underdogs tonight on the road at +138.