Los Angeles Angels vs Houston Astros Prediction, 4/23/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Los Angeles Angels vs Houston Astros

Date: Friday, April 23, 2021

Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX

TV: AT&T SportsNet Southwest

Odds/Point Spread: Los Angeles (+120) Houston (-130)

Andrew Heaney and the Los Angeles Angels (9-7, 3rd in AL West) head to Minute Maid Park on Friday where they'll meet the Houston Astros (7-10, 5th in AL West). The Astros open this matchup at -130 while the Angels are coming in at +120. The total opens at 8. The pitchers taking the mound will be Andrew Heaney and Zack Greinke.

As a team, the Los Angeles Angels are recording 5.3 runs per outing, which is 3rd in MLB. They have accounted for 85 runs and hold an OBP of .327. The Angels have accrued 18 doubles as a squad and have hit 25 balls out of the park. They have accrued 74 runs batted in as well as 147 base knocks this season, and their batting average is .266. Los Angeles has a slugging percentage of .446 and have struck out 137 times, while drawing a walk on 46 occasions.

The Angels are sitting with a team ERA of 4.72 on the campaign (28th in the league), and the staff has struck out 173 batters. Their K/BB ratio is 2.54 and the pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.38. Angels pitchers have allowed 16 home runs and also 83 total runs (21st in MLB). Their pitching staff has walked 68 opposing hitters and their FIP comes in at 3.63 as a unit over the course of the season.

Angels relief pitchers have gone to the mound with players on base 24 times and also have had 18 appearances in high leverage situations. The relievers have recorded 5 holds so far this year (26th in the league). The Angels relief pitchers have a save percentage of 50.0% and stepped onto the hill in 11 save situations. They have recorded 3 saves this year and have missed out on 3 of 6 save opportunities. The relief pitchers have inherited 29 runners so far this season with 48.3% of them crossed the plate. The Angels have dispatched 57 relief pitchers to the mound over the course of the season.

The Los Angeles Angels have 429 putouts on the year, as well as 147 assists and 17 errors. Their fielding rate is holding at .971 which ranks 30th in pro baseball, and have accumulated 115 double plays. The Angels have converted 65.9% of balls in play into outs out of their 1,287 innings on the field, which has them ranked 30th in baseball.

Heaney (25-30 win-loss record in his career) has a FIP of 4.31 while he has gone up against 2,184 hitters in the major leagues. He has given up 502 base hits (8.7 hits per 9 innings) and has 145 walks. His earned run average is 4.47 (258 earned runs allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.247. Heaney has taken the ball for 519 innings and is sitting with 519 punch outs during his MLB career.

The Houston Astros have accounted for a team on-base percentage of .311 and a batting average of .243 this year. They have been rung up on 121 occasions (29th in the league) and have 141 base hits. Houston has 20 home runs over the course of the season as well as 72 runs batted in. The Astros hold a team slugging percentage of .399 and they are recording 4.53 runs per outing (13th in baseball). They have notched 29 two-baggers, while walking 52 times and notching 77 runs.

The Astros hold a team WHIP of 1.291 in addition to having a FIP of 4.34 as a squad on the season. Their K/BB ratio sits at 2.45 (147 strikeouts vs 60 walks). They rank 11th in baseball as a pitching staff in total hits relinquished with 131. They have yielded 21 dingers and they allow 4.74 runs per 9 innings (18th in baseball). The Houston pitching staff have allowed 78 runs this season while having an ERA of 4.62 (76 earned runs conceded).

Sitting with 15 save situations, the Astros have recorded 9 holds and also 3 blown saves. Houston has called on relief pitchers to step onto the hill in 5 save opportunities and they have come away with 2 saves. Their relievers have taken the field 15 times in high leverage situations in addition to 19 occasions with base runners. Houston bullpen pitchers hold an inherited score rate of 40.0% out of their 35 inherited base runners. They sit at 26th in the league holding a save rate of 40.0%, and they have dispatched 55 relievers onto the field this year.

In their 1,332 innings played, the Astros have earned a defensive efficiency of 70.9% (10th in baseball). The Houston Astros have turned 14 double plays and have a fielding percentage of .988 (5th in professional baseball). The Astros have recorded 136 assists, 7 errors and have 444 putouts this season.

So far in his pro baseball career, Greinke has conceded 2,750 base hits while he has tallied 2,705 strikeouts in 2,964 innings. Greinke (210-127 career record) is the owner of a 3.36 earned run average while surrendering 8.3 hits per nine innings. He has given up 1,108 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.157 and having a FIP of 3.4. His strikeout to walk ratio is 3.98 and he has faced 12,101 opposing hitters during his pro baseball career.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Los Angeles (+120)

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