Saturday, September 12, 2015

Angel Stadium

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Lance McCullers (5-5) vs. Hector Santiago (8-9)

The Los Angeles Angels welcome the Houston Astros to Angel Stadium on Saturday. The Astros send Lance McCullers to the mound to face Hector Santiago of the Angels. The opening line for this matchup has Houston at -115 and Los Angeles at +105. The over/under was set at 7.5. The Astros have a 63-71 over/under record and a 75-65 run line mark, meaning they cover 54% of the time. The Angels have a 66-68 over/under record and a 60-79 run line mark, which means they are covering the spread 45% of the time.

The Astros head into this matchup with a 76-64 record, including 28-40 on the road. Lance McCullers has a 5-5 record on the season, an earned run average of 3.07 and a 1.18 WHIP. The Astros are 7-10 over his 96.2 innings pitched and he's also given up 80 hits over that time period. The Astros are also 7-7 against the over/under in his starts. His teammates are averaging 4.1 runs a game when he pitches. The bullpen's earned run average is currently 2.95 and they've given up 301 hits on the season. The bullpen has struck out 401 and walked 119 batters this season while opposing teams hit .205 against them. Houston has a team average of 7.98 hits allowed per game and are averaging 7.92 strikeouts per nine innings. With a team earned run average of 3.41, they are 5th in the league.

Houston ranks 28th in the league in team batting average at .245 while hitting .241 on the road. Ranked at 23rd in the league in on-base percentage, the Astros sit at .310 and they hold a .425 team slugging percentage. With 169 hits, Jose Altuve leads the team while his team ranks 28th in hits per game with 8.21.

With a 42-30 home record, Los Angeles will hope to improve on their 70-69 overall mark. Hector Santiago has a record of 8-9 while sporting an earned run average of 3.24 on the year with a 1.23 WHIP. The Angels have a record of 13-14 over the 158.1 innings he's pitched during which he's given up 134 hits. The Angels are also 13-14 against the over/under in his starts. His teammates score an average of 4.6 runs a game when he pitches. The bullpen's earned run average is currently at 3.74 and they have given up 379 hits on the season. The Angels bullpen has struck out 359 batters and walked 135 this season while opposing teams have hit .244 against them. Los Angeles has a team average of 8.16 hits per game and are averaging 8.76 strikeouts per nine innings. With a team earned run average of 3.39, they are 4th in the league.

They rank 19th in the league in team batting average with a .252 average while hitting .256 at home. Ranked at 2nd in the league in on-base percentage, the Angels sit at .328 and they hold a .417 team slugging percentage. With 145 hits, Mike Trout leads the team while his team ranks 26th in hits per game with 8.35.

The Astros have committed 66 errors and have combined for 1,422 assists and 3,752 put outs leading to a .987 team fielding percentage. Over the course of this season, the Angels have accumulated 80 errors while having 1,276 assists and 3,710 put outs leading to a .984 fielding percentage.

Houston Astros Betting Trends

The Houston Astros are 63-71 against the over/under so far this season

The Houston Astros are 75-65 against the run line so far this season

Los Angeles Angels Betting Trends

The Los Angeles Angels are 66-68 against the over/under so far this season

The Los Angeles Angels are 60-79 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Houston Astros

09/11/15 P Scott Feldman Shoulder out for season
08/30/15 C Jason Castro Quad Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (8/29)
05/19/15 P Samuel Deduno Back Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (5/14), out for season
04/17/15 P Brad Peacock Hip Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (4/14); out for season

Los Angeles Angels

09/08/15 P Matt Shoemaker Forearm out indefinitely
08/26/15 2B Johnny Giavotella Eye Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (8/21)
07/31/15 P C.J. Wilson Elbow Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (7/29); out for season
04/16/15 P Tyler Skaggs Elbow Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (3/27)

Tony's Pick: Take the Astros

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Tony Sink