Los Angeles Angels vs Houston Astros Prediction and Betting Odds July 14
Los Angeles Angels vs Houston Astros Betting Preview
WagerTalk MLB analyst Brian Ochsner offers his analysis of Thursday night’s Los Angeles Angels vs Houston Astros Prediction and Betting Odds July 14 clash at Angel Stadium. Despite the win last night, the Angels sit a whopping 19 games back of the Astros in the AL West.
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| Thursday, July 14 | MLB Betting Notes, Courtesy of Caesars |
|---|---|
| Moneyline: | Los Angeles Angels +158 vs Houston Astros -190 |
| Runline: | Angels +1.5 (-115) / Astros -1.5 (-105) |
| Total: | 8 Runs (Over -115 / Under -105) |
| Game Time: | 8:07pm ET / 5:07pm PT |
| Where: | Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA |
| Weather: | 70 Degrees / Clear |
Los Angeles Angels vs Houston Astros Analysis
The Houston Astros take on the Los Angeles Angels in the last of a three game series. Shohei Ohtani took the Halos on his back last night and powered them to a 7-1 win.
The AL MVP went 2-for-4 at the plate and threw 6.0 innings, striking out 12, scattering four hits and giving up just one earned run. Game time is 8:07 Eastern, and it’s a battle of southpaws with Framber Valdez taking the bump against rookie Reid Detmers.
Valdez Proving Value For Astros
Valdez has been one of the best and most durable starting pitchers for the Astros. In 17 starts and 109.0 innings, he’s accrued a 2.64 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP and 96 strikeouts.
He’s faced the Angels twice this season, once back in April when he went 4.1 innings, gave up eight hits and six earned runs, and a much better start back on July 3rd where he went 6.0 innings, gave up four runs and two hits, and struck out 13.
Although Ohtani shut the Astros offense down last night, this team is hitting the baseball really well. Houston is tied for 5th in OPS with the Twins at .748, have a .241 team batting average and are third in home runs with 125.
The starting and relief pitching are also top notch, as Houston has an MLB-best staff ERA of 2.99 and lowest bullpen ERA of 2.69. If their arms can perform at this level for the second half of the season, they’ll have a very good chance to go back to the World Series.
Angels Need to Turn Atrocious Season Around
After throwing a no-hitter against Tampa back in May, Reid Detmers has had an up-and-down season. But it’s not uncommon for a rookie pitcher to be inconsistent in his first year in the bigs.
In 13 starts and 64 innings, the southpaw has put up a 4.22 ERA, an impressive 1.05 WHIP and 51 strikeouts. Walks and home runs have been Detmer’s Achilles Heel, giving up 22 free passes and 11 long flies, which comes to just over three walks and about 1.5 bombs per nine innings.
It’s odd that a team with two of the best hitters in baseball has performed so poorly as a team at the plate. That describes the Angels in 2022 though, as they have a 20th best OPS of .689 and a .232 team batting average. They’re #1 in a dubious category, team strikeouts with 870 for the season which comes to just under 10Ks a game.
Los Angeles Angels vs Houston Astros Prediction
It seems like the Angels have a hard time winning when Ohtani isn’t their starter, and tonight’s game isn’t an exception.
Houston has the edge in starting pitching, the bullpens and lineups, and the home team is near the bottom of MLB the last 30 days in Isolated Power and OPS against southpaws. The Halos are one of the most strikeout-prone teams in baseball, going against one of the Astro’s best starters. That’s why I’ll take Houston on the run line.
Prediction: Houston Astros -1.5
First Pitch | MLB Predictions for Thursday, July 14
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WagerTalk Live Odds Screen
WagerTalk’s Live Odds Screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the MLB moneylines, run lines and betting percentages for all of Thursday’s baseball games, including this Los Angeles Angels vs Houston Astros showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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Meet the Author
Brian Ochsner graduated from Kansas State University with degrees in Accounting and Agribusiness. He’s a life-long baseball fan and “numbers guy” who tolerates the Colorado Rockies (bad ownership), and is a Denver Broncos and Kansas State Wildcats fan. Along with his interest in the sports wagering industry, he enjoys eating good BBQ, reading books on marketing, finance and economics, and playing Texas Hold ‘Em poker.
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