Los Angeles Angels at Houston Astros Expert MLB Picks Against the Spread 9/20/2019

Friday, September 20, 2019

Minute Maid Park

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Jaime Barria vs. Zack Greinke

Kole Calhoun and the Los Angeles Angels (69-83, 4th in AL West) go to Minute Maid Park on Friday where they'll take on the Houston Astros (100-53, 1st in AL West). The Astros open this game at -360 while the Angels are coming in at +315. The over/under is set at 9.

The Angels have been solid for wagerers, having gone 69-83-0 SU. Houston covers 65.4% of the time, going 100-53-0 straight up.

Valuable Los Angeles Angels Betting Trends

The Angels have been a solid Over pick for O/U bettors, having gone 73-72-7.

The Angels cover 42.9% of the time as the visitor, having gone 33-44-0 straight up.

Important Houston Astros Betting Trends

Houston covers 74.4% of the time at Minute Maid Park, going 58-20-0 SU.

The Astros have been a solid Over pick for O/U bettors, having gone 67-80-6.

Related: Gambling 101 - MLB Betting Tips - Tony George of Doc's Sports

Key Los Angeles Angels Injuries

9/18/2019 Stella Tommy La Stella 2B Lower Leg Expected to be out until at least Sep 20
9/18/2019 Luis Rengifo 2B Hand
9/16/2019 Max Stassi C Oblique Expected to be out until at least Sep 24
9/15/2019 Mike Trout CF Foot Out for the season
9/14/2019 Justin Upton LF Knee Out for the season
9/12/2019 Shohei Ohtani DH Knee Out for the season
9/11/2019 Cam Bedrosian RP Forearm Out for the season
8/22/2019 Griffin Canning SP Elbow Out for the season
8/5/2019 Felix Pena RP Knee Out for the season
7/12/2019 Zack Cozart 3B Shoulder Out for the season

Key Houston Astros Injuries

9/18/2019 Ryan Pressly RP Knee Expected to be out until at least Sep 19
9/18/2019 Aaron Sanchez SP Shoulder Out for the season
9/17/2019 Collin McHugh RP Elbow Expected to be out until at least Sep 24
9/14/2019 Brad Peacock SP Shoulder Expected to be out until at least Sep 24
6/9/2019 Lance McCullers SP Elbow Out for the season

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Angels have a 69-83 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Jaime Barria has a 4-9 record with an earned run average of 5.95 and a WHIP of 1.39 this season. He has 70 strikeouts over his 75.2 innings pitched and he's given up 80 hits. He's allowed 9.5 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 5.49. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.70 and they have given up 680 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .246 against the bullpen and they've struck out 720 hitters and walked 296 batters. As a team, Los Angeles allows 8.8 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.8 batters per nine innings. They are 24th in the league in team earned run average at 5.08. The Angels pitchers collectively have given up 1,325 base hits and 764 earned runs. They have allowed 241 home runs this season, ranking them 4th in the league. Los Angeles as a pitching staff has walked 535 batters and struck out 1,324. They have walked 3.6 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.8 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.38 and their FIP as a unit is 4.92.

Related: Get MLB tips & picks on all of today's games

Hitting Statistics

As a team Los Angeles is hitting .249, good for 16th in the league. The Angels hold a .427 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .327, which is good for 11th in baseball. They rank 15th in MLB with 8.5 hits per game. Kole Calhoun is hitting .233 with an on-base percentage of .327. He has 120 hits this season in 515 at bats with 71 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .472 and an OPS+ of 109. David Fletcher is hitting .292 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .353. He has totaled 162 hits and he has driven in 46 men in 554 at bats. His OPS+ is 98 while his slugging percentage is at .388. The Angels have 1,296 hits, including 252 doubles and 211 home runs. Los Angeles has walked 561 times so far this season and they have struck out 1,177 times as a unit. They have left 1,064 men on base and have a team OPS of .754. They score 4.83 runs per contest and have scored a total of 734 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Houston has a 100-53 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 2.95, Zack Greinke has a 16-5 record and a 1.00 WHIP. He has 174 strikeouts over the 195.1 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 166 hits. He's allowing 7.6 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.27. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.83 and they have given up 450 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .228 against the Astros bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 565 batters and walked 183 opposing hitters. As a team, Houston allows 7.5 hits per nine innings while striking out 10.2 batters per nine innings. They are 4th in the league in team earned run average at 3.71. The Astros pitchers as a team have surrendered 1,148 base knocks and 568 earned runs this season. They have given up 223 home runs this year, which ranks 12th in Major League Baseball. Houston as a staff has walked 425 hitters and struck out 1,570 batters. They give up a walk 2.8 times per 9 innings while they strike out 10.2 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.14 while their FIP as a staff is 4.05.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .276, good for 1st in the league. The Astros hold a .494 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .353, which is good for 1st in baseball. They rank 3rd in MLB with 9.5 hits per contest. Alex Bregman comes into this matchup batting .295 with an OBP of .419. He has 155 hits this year along with 105 RBI in 525 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .581 with an OPS+ of 159. Michael Brantley is hitting .318 this season and he has an OBP of .379. He has collected 175 hits in 551 at bats while driving in 86 runs. He has an OPS+ of 131 and a slugging percentage of .510. The Astros as a unit have 1,460 base hits, including 304 doubles and 267 homers. Houston has walked 607 times this year and they have struck out on 1,104 occasions. They have had 1,103 men left on base and have an OPS of .847. They have scored 5.69 runs per game and totaled 870 runs this season.

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

Josh's Pick: Take the Angels (+315)

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