Los Angeles Angels at Houston Astros 4/23/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Monday, April 23, 2018

Minute Maid Park

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Tyler Skaggs vs. Gerrit Cole

The Los Angeles Angels visit Minute Maid Park on Monday, April 23, 2018 to play the Houston Astros. The probable starters are Tyler Skaggs for the Angels and Gerrit Cole for the Astros.

The opening line for this matchup has Los Angeles at +194 and Houston at -210. The Angels have a 11-8-0 over/under record and a 8-11-0 run line mark. The Astros are 12-10-0 against the run line and have a 9-13-0 over/under record.

Valuable Los Angeles Angels Betting Trends

The Los Angeles Angels are 11-8-0 against the over/under

The Los Angeles Angels are 8-11-0 against the run line

Important Houston Astros Betting Trends

The Houston Astros are 9-13-0 against the over/under

The Houston Astros are 12-10-0 against the run line

Key Los Angeles Angels Injuries

04/09/18 P JC Ramirez Elbow 10-day DL (04/09)
04/04/18 P Matt Shoemaker Forearm 10-day DL (04/01)
03/26/18 P Alex Meyer Shoulder 60-day DL (02/21)

Key Houston Astros Injuries

03/30/18 P Brady Rodgers Elbow 10-day DL (03/26)
03/26/18 P James Hoyt Oblique 10-day DL (03/26)
03/26/18 P Jandel Gustave Elbow 10-day DL (03/26)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Angels have a 14-7 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs has a 2-1 record with an earned run average of 3.98 and a WHIP of 1.38 this season. He has 21 strikeouts over his 20.1 innings pitched and he's given up 21 hits. He's allowed 9.3 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 2.9. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.21 and they have given up 83 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .239 against the bullpen and they've struck out 90 hitters and walked 39 batters. As a team, Los Angeles allows 8.1 hits per nine innings while striking out 9.2 batters per nine innings. They are 18th in the league in team earned run average at 4.17. The Angels pitchers collectively have given up 175 base hits and 90 earned runs. They have allowed 32 home runs this season, ranking them 1st in the league. Los Angeles as a pitching staff has walked 87 batters and struck out 198. They have walked 4 men per 9 innings while striking out 9.2 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.35 and their FIP as a unit is 4.73.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Los Angeles is hitting .264, good for 4th in the league. The Angels hold a .441 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .323, which is good for 12th in baseball. They rank 2nd in MLB with 9.5 hits per game. Andrelton Simmons is hitting .295 with an on-base percentage of .375. He has 23 hits this season in 78 at bats with 8 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .385 and an OPS+ of 116. Mike Trout is hitting .309 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .412. He has totaled 25 hits and he has driven in 15 men in 81 at bats. His OPS+ is 199 while his slugging percentage is at .667. The Angels have 199 hits, including 30 doubles and 31 home runs. Los Angeles has walked 58 times so far this season and they have struck out 149 times as a unit. They have left 146 men on base and have a team OPS of .764. They score 5.29 runs per contest and have scored a total of 111 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Houston has a 15-7 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 0.96, Gerrit Cole has a 2-0 record and a 0.75 WHIP. He has 41 strikeouts over the 28 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 15 hits. He's allowing 4.8 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 2.36. The bullpen has an earned run average of 2.61 and they have given up 51 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .218 against the Astros bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 68 batters and walked 17 opposing hitters. As a team, Houston allows 6.6 hits per nine innings while striking out 10.9 batters per nine innings. They are 1st in the league in team earned run average at 2.28. The Astros pitchers as a team have surrendered 146 base knocks and 50 earned runs this season. They have given up 19 home runs this year, which ranks 18th in Major League Baseball. Houston as a staff has walked 60 hitters and struck out 240 batters. They give up a walk 2.7 times per 9 innings while they strike out 10.9 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.04 while their FIP as a staff is 2.99.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .254, good for 6th in the league. The Astros hold a .402 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .336, which is good for 6th in baseball. They rank 9th in MLB with 8.6 hits per contest. Carlos Correa comes into this matchup batting .333 with an OBP of .386. He has 25 hits this year along with 18 RBI in 75 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .573 with an OPS+ of 174. Jose Altuve is hitting .349 this season and he has an OBP of .412. He has collected 30 hits in 86 at bats while driving in 9 runs. He has an OPS+ of 137 and a slugging percentage of .395. The Astros as a unit have 189 base hits, including 40 doubles and 22 homers. Houston has walked 88 times this year and they have struck out on 204 occasions. They have had 158 men left on base and have an OPS of .738. They have scored 4.91 runs per game and totaled 108 runs this season.

Who will win tonight's Angels/Astros MLB game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Angels +194

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