The Los Angeles Angels and the Houston Astros will play the middle game of a three-game series at Minute Maid Park on Saturday night.
Houston kicked things off with a 4-3 triumph on Friday night. This Saturday contest promises to be a pitcher’s duel as the stingy Shohei Ohtani squares off with Jose Urquidy, but is it as simple as that?
Find out in our free MLB betting picks and predictions for Angels vs Astros on Saturday, September 10.
Angels vs Astros best odds
Angels vs Astros picks and predictions
Bettors shouldn’t overthink this one — the Under is the way to go in this Saturday evening affair.
Shohei Ohtani held the Astros’ lineup to one run over eight dominant innings in his most recent start last Saturday. It wasn’t a one-off outing for Ohtani either, as he’s 2-1 with a 1.09 ERA over four starts against Houston this season.
The reigning AL MVP has produced 10 quality starts in his last 14 outings overall, pitching to an outstanding 1.83 ERA in that span.
Urquidy appears equal to the task though, as he’s been a quality start machine since June. He’s gone at least six innings while allowing three or fewer earned runs in 12 of his last 14 appearances. His ERA in that stretch is an impressive 2.58.
Perhaps most importantly for this tilt, Urquidy has long been effective against Mike Trout, who’s homered in five straight tilts. The Mexico native has held Trout to one hit in 11 prior at-bats with five strikeouts, so look for him to keep the “Millville Meteor” in check.
Both Ohtani and Urquidy can fall back on their bullpens, as each relief corps has been brilliant over the last two weeks.
The Angels are eighth in the majors by ERA in that span (2.85). Jimmy Herget has emerged as a reliable late-inning option for interim manager Phil Nevin, gobbling up three saves and tallying seven consecutive scoreless outings. Aaron Loup has gotten past a dreadful start to the campaign, and has now authored six straight scoreless efforts.
The Astros’ bullpen owns an MLB-best 0.73 ERA over the last two weeks, stranding an unthinkable 94.6% of runners on base. Ryan Pressly came back from a brief IL stint to record his 26th save of the season against L.A. on Friday night. Rafael Montero held the fort in his stead, completing four scoreless innings in his last four chances and tallying two saves.
Amazingly, Bryan Abreu has yet to allow an earned run since the All-Star break, posting 19 2-3 clean frames.
Nevin and Houston skipper Dusty Baker have an embarrassment of pitching riches at their disposal on Saturday night, so runs should be precious.
My best bet: Under 7 (+100 at DraftKings)
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Angels vs Astros betting preview
Jump to:
•Side analysis •Over/Under analysis •Starting pitchers •Injuries •Weather •Trend to know
Moneyline analysis
Though it’s tempting to side with Ohtani as an underdog in a game that should be low-scoring, the Astros look like the better bet.
The ‘Stros are 11-2 in their last 13 games against teams with losing records, and 45-17 in their last 62 home games.
Houston has gotten some outstanding production from their middle infielders of late, with Jose Altuve going 12-for-38 (.343) since Aug. 30 with three dingers, and Jeremy Pena gathering 13 hits in his last 40 at-bats (.325 average) — including a solo homer in Friday night’s contest.
The trends don’t favor the Halos, who are 11-28 in their last 39 games against starters with a WHIP less than 1.15, and 14-37 in their last 51 games against teams with winning records.
The Astros could have some trouble getting things going on offense against Ohtani, but if they can chase him earlier than the eighth inning this time around, they’ll have a chance to attack some of L.A.’s inferior relievers, and that could be the difference.
Over/Under analysis
Neither team has been piling runs up on the scoreboard of late. The Angels have scored four or fewer times in eight of their last 10 overall. The Astros have plated four or fewer runs in 10 of their last 12 contests.
Ohtani has held Houston to a .170 opponent batting average over 24 2-3 innings this year, fanning 38 batters while walking only four. Urquidy is a perfect 3-0 over three games against the Halos this season, authoring a 1.00 ERA and .159 opponent batting average over 18 impeccable innings.
Trend bettors should note that the Under is 6-2 in the Angels’ last eight games with the total set between 7.0 and 8.5. The Under has also cashed in each of the Astros’ last seven games against right-handed starters, with an identical mark over their last seven home games.
This total is a low one, but for good reason.
Angels vs Astros game info
• Location: Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX
• Date: Saturday, September 10, 2022
• First pitch: 7:15 p.m. ET
• TV: FOX
Starting pitchers
Shohei Ohtani (11-8, 2.58 ERA): Shohei Ohtani has done some of his best work of the season in his last two trips to the mound. After blanking the Blue Jays through seven innings on Aug. 27, Ohtani held the Astros to one run over eight innings on Sept. 3. He’s struck out 14 batters in that span while walking only one.
Jose Urquidy (13-5, 3.51 ERA): Jose Urquidy continued his stellar second half of 2022 by silencing the Angels’ bats over seven frames last Sunday. After posting a 4.09 ERA and 1.247 WHIP over 94 2-3 innings before the All-Star break, Urquidy has produced a 2.45 ERA and 0.896 WHIP over 51 1-3 innings after it.
Key injuries
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Betting trend to know
The Angels are 23-49 in their last 72 meetings with the Astros in Houston. Find more MLB betting trends for Angels vs. Astros
