Astros vs. Angels prediction and odds for Friday, July 14 (Even Ohtani Can't Save the Angels)
By Josh Yourish
Hopefully Shohei Ohtani enjoyed his two days off after the All-Star Game because he’s pulling double duty on Friday night in Anaheim. The Los Angeles Angels will face the Houston Astros and will need a great start from Shohei Ohtani after a terrible finish to the first half of the season has left them at 45-46 after losing five straight.
The Astros are hunting down the Rangers and are two games back of first place in the AL West at 50-41.
Ohtani is 7-4 in 17 starts with a 3.32 ERA and is coming off his worst start of the year. He will be opposed by JP France who is 4-3 with a 3.26 ERA in 11 starts for Houston.
Astros vs. Angels odds, run line and total
Astros vs. Angels prediction and pick
The Angels need Ohtani to do everything right now because they’re in absolute free fall without Mike Trout there to help him. If they keep losing like this then they might have no choice but to trade him at the trade deadline that continues to inch closer and closer.
Another problem is that Ohtani might not be able to save them.
Shohei has been incredible with the bat this season and he’s been very good on the mound, but as a pitcher he could be headed for some regression. Ohtani has 132 strikeouts in 100.1 innings, but he also has 43 walks in that stretch and has allowed 14 home runs.
Those last two numbers have pulled his FIP up to 4.02 and FIP is typically a precursor to ERA. Last time out the regression starter when he allowed five runs on seven hits with four walks against the Padres.
Heading into the break the Angels lost five games in a row and in that stretch they allowed 44 runs which is 8.8 per game. The total in this one is 7.5 or eight, so that feels like an easy over.
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