LA Angels (66-70) at Houston (83-53)
When: Sunday, September 2nd 2018
Where: Minute Maid Park,
Houston, Texas
Time: 8:05 ET | TV: ESPN
Opening Odds: Houston -169/8
Japanese sensation Shohei Ohtani is back and what better way to showcase baseball’s two-way star than on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball against the World Series champions. The Houston Astros look to gain a split of a four game series with Ohtani’s Angels on Sunday, as Los Angeles looks to play spoiler in the AL West race. Ohtani was the biggest story heading into Spring Training when he signed with Los Angeles out of Japan over the winter but has not pitched since June 6th after being diagnosed with a Grade 2 sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right arm. The Angels season seemed to go down from there as they are a sub-.500 team looking up at the Astros, A’s, and Mariners in the division, but can play a big part on who wins the West. L.A. is 17 games back in the division, but play the three teams ahead of them 13 more times this season, and they hope Ohtani will be involved the rest of the way. The Astros dropped the first two games of the series before picking up a 7-3 victory on Saturday and sit 2.5 games in front of the Athletics in the division. Houston will send All-Star right-hander Gerrit Cole to the mound to oppose Ohtani on Sunday. Houston 2B Jose Altuve is 0-for-8 with four strikeouts in the last two games, dropping his batting average to .323.
Pitchers: Angels – Shohei Ohtani (4-1, 3.10 ERA) | Astros – Gerrit Cole (12-5, 2.85)
Ohtani has been limited to just hitting duties since going down in June and boasts 15 home runs in 80 games to go along with a .276 batting average. He has allowed two or fewer earned runs in each of his last five outings and owns 61 strikeouts in 49.1 innings. Ohtani started against the Astros on April 24th and suffered one of his worst outings, allowing a season-high four runs on six hits and five walks in 5.1 innings.
Cole was not sharp in his latest outing, allowing four runs on four hits and a pair of walks over six innings, but got bailed out from his offense to earn his 12th victory. Cole’s 234 strikeouts rank second only to teammate Justin Verlander in the American League. He matched his shortest outing of the season at Los Angeles on May 15th when he allowed three runs in five innings and did not factor in the decision.
Neither team is playing particularly well right now, and I don’t expect Ohtani to be sharp after his long layoff. The Astros picked up a big win yesterday with a five-run eighth and will carry that momentum into this contest. They also hammered Ohtani earlier this season. Look for Cole to shutdown the Halos. Take the runline.
Pick: Astros -1.5 +105
BETTING TRENDS:
- Angels are 12-25 in their last 37 road games.
- Angels are 19-40 in their last 59 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.
- Angels are 3-7 in their last 10 overall.
- Angels are 3-7 in their last 10 games on grass.
- Angels are 2-5 in their last 7 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Angels are 3-8 in their last 11 vs. American League West.
- Angels are 3-8 in their last 11 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Angels are 7-21 in their last 28 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Angels are 1-4 in their last 5 road games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Angels are 0-5 in their last 5 Sunday games.
- Angels are 4-0 in Ohtani’s last 4 starts vs. American League West.
- Angels are 5-0 in Ohtani’s last 5 Sunday starts.
- Angels are 5-1 in Ohtani’s last 6 starts.
- Angels are 5-1 in Ohtani’s last 6 starts on grass.
- Astros are 7-3 in their last 10 vs. American League West.
- Astros are 7-3 in their last 10 overall.
- Astros are 7-3 in their last 10 games on grass.
- Astros are 41-19 in their last 60 vs. a team with a losing record.
- Astros are 38-18 in their last 56 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Astros are 36-17 in their last 53 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
- Astros are 2-5 in their last 7 Sunday games.
- Astros are 2-6 in their last 8 during game 4 of a series.
- Astros are 3-12 in their last 15 home games.
- Astros are 0-6 in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a losing record.
- Astros are 5-0 in Cole’s last 5 home starts vs. a team with a losing record.
- Astros are 8-1 in Cole’s last 9 starts vs. a team with a losing record.
- Astros are 8-2 in Cole’s last 10 home starts.
- Astros are 7-2 in Cole’s last 9 starts with 5 days of rest.
- Astros are 19-7 in Cole’s last 26 starts on grass.
- Astros are 19-8 in Cole’s last 27 starts.
- Astros are 1-4 in Cole’s last 5 starts vs. American League West.
- Under is 4-0 in Angels last 4 road games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Under is 5-1 in Angels last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Under is 4-1 in Angels last 5 overall.
- Under is 4-1 in Angels last 5 road games.
- Under is 4-1 in Angels last 5 on grass.
- Under is 4-1 in Angels last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 18-7-1 in Angels last 26 during game 4 of a series.
- Under is 4-0 in Ohtani’s last 4 starts on grass.
- Under is 4-0 in Ohtani’s last 4 starts overall.
- Under is 5-1 in Astros last 6 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Under is 4-1 in Astros last 5 Sunday games.
- Under is 10-3-1 in Astros last 14 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Under is 7-3 in Astros last 10 home games.
- Over is 7-3 in Astros last 10 during game 4 of a series.
- Over is 4-1 in Cole’s last 5 Sunday starts.
- Over is 8-2 in Cole’s last 10 home starts.
- Angels are 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Houston.
- Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Houston.
- Under is 8-3-1 in the last 12 meetings.
- Angels are 3-7 in the last 10 meetings.
