| MATCHUP | Los Angeles Angels | Houston Astros |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Spread | +1.5 -136 | -1.5 113 |
| Moneyline | +153 | -186 |
| Total | Over 8 (-112) | Under 8 (-108) |
| Where | Daikin Park, Houston, Texas | |
| When | Thursday, March 26, 2026 | |
| Time | 04:10 PM EDT | |
| TV | MLB.TV | |
Los Angeles Angels Betting Preview
The Los Angeles Angels were 72-90 last season and they finished fifth in the AL West standings, 18 games behind the Mariners for first. Los Angeles started the season with an 8-1 loss to the White Sox, but they did win two of the three games in that series. The Angels were very inconsistent last season, but they did have an eight game winning streak and were competitive in June and July. The Angels went 39-42 at home and 33-48 on the road, while they scored 673 runs and allowed 837 runs last year.Last season, Los Angeles had a 4.89 ERA with a 1.43 WHIP and a .260 opponent batting average, while they scored 673 runs with a .225 batting average and a .298 on base percentage. Taylor Ward (now in Baltimore) led the way with 36 home runs and 103 RBIs, while Jo Adell added 37 home runs and 98 RBIs. The projected starting pitcher for Los Angeles is Jose Soriano, who went 10-11 with a 4.26 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP over 169.0 innings pitched last season.
Houston Astros Betting Preview
The Houston Astros went 87-75 last year and they finished second in the AL West standings, three games behind Seattle for first. The Astros tied Detroit in the Wild Card standings, but lost the tiebreaker and missed the playoffs. Houston started the season with a 3-1 win over the Mets and they won two of the three games in that series. The Astros were in the middle of the AL West race all season, but they struggled in September and lost six of their last nine games. Houston went 46-35 at home and 41-40 on the road, while they scored 686 runs and allowed 665 runs last year.Last season, Houston had a 3.86 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP and a .232 opponent batting average, while they scored 686 runs with a .250 batting average and a .315 on base percentage. Christian Walker led the team with 27 home runs and 88 RBIs, while Jose Altuve added 26 home runs and 77 RBIs. The projected starting pitcher for Houston is Hunter Brown, who is 12-9 with a 2.43 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP over 185.1 innings pitched this year.
Why the Houston Astros will win
- The Angels have lost each of their last six road openers against AL West opponents.
- The Astros have won 11 of their last 13 season openers.
- The Angels have failed to cover the run line in 11 of their last 12 season openers.
- The favorites have covered the run line in each of the Astros’ last three games at Daikin Park.
- The Astros have led after 5 innings in eight of their last nine season openers.
- The Astros have led after 3 innings in eight of their last nine Thursday day games as home favorites.
Why the Los Angeles Angels will win
- The Astros have lost 13 of their last 19 games as home favorites against American League opponents.
- The road team has won three of the Astros’ last four games.
- The Astros have failed to cover the run line in each of their last six Thursday games at Daikin Park.
- The road team has covered the run line in three of the Astros’ last four games.
Total Runs Facts
- Six of the Astros’ last seven games as favorites against the Angels have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- Four of the Angels’ last five games as underdogs have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in seven of the Astros’ last eight games as home favorites against American League opponents.
- The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in six of the Angels’ last seven day games at Daikin Park.
Houston Astros Player Prop Facts
- Jose Altuve has recorded at least one hit in each of his 11 previous appearances in home openers against AL opponents.
- Isaac Paredes has hit a home run in each of his last three home appearances against the Angels.
- Jeremy Pena ranked 5th amongst qualified players for Batting Average (.304) last season.
Los Angeles Angels Player Prop Facts
- Mike Trout has hit a home run in four of the Angels’ last five road openers as underdogs against AL opponents.
- Nolan Schanuel has recorded at least one hit in each of his 10 previous appearances at Daikin Park.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Astros ranked 26th in the league for walks last season (471).
- The Astros ranked 6th in the league for opponent batting average last season (.232).
- The Angels ranked 30th in the league for strikeouts against last season (1627).
- The Angels ranked 30th in the league for walks allowed last season (620).