It’s always interesting to see how preseason expectations play out when the regular season gets underway. Baseball is different from a lot of other professional sports in that the season is so long, and it can often take a month or two before we get an idea of how each division is going to play out. The NL West is a bit of a strange one right now, with the Texas Rangers, the pick of many to win that division, currently rooted in the cellar. The leaders right now are the Houston Astros, who have started well and built up a rather solid 4.5-game lead at the top. The team sitting behind them are the LA Angels, and it will be those two who go head to head in a weekend series. The Astros will be looking to expand their lead in this one, while the Angels will be trying to close it down so that they can stake a claim on the top spot. Find out more about the updated baseball betting lines here.
A Closer Look At The 2017 MLB Expert Picks For Astros At Angels
When: Saturday, May 6 at 9:07 PM ET
Where: Angel Stadium, Anaheim
Starting Pitchers: Lance McCullers Vs JC Ramirez
TV: ROOTSW, FS-W
Radio: La Nueva 94.1 FM, KBME 790, KLAA 830
Live Stream: MLB.TV
MLB Odds: Houston Astros – L Mcculers-r / Moneyline -135
Why bet on the Houston Astros
The Houston Astros (19-10) have been a very pleasant surprise through the first month of the season, and are fully deserving of their division lead. They seem to have found a nice balance between offense and defense, and currently find themselves at or near the top in several of the major stats. While the Astros have done most of their damage at home, they have still been solid on the road, starting the season with a 7-4 record. Perhaps more importantly, the Astros are a very healthy 15-5 in games played versus division rivals. Houston will have Lance McCullers (2-1, 4.08 ERA) on the mound on Saturday.
Why bet on the LA Angels
As always, the LA Angels (15-15) are relying heavily on Mike Trout, as he leads the team in home runs and batting average. The Angels will be happy to get back home after going 3-3 on a recent 6-game road trip. They will be a little disappointed that they didn’t end up with a better record after losing the last two games of the trip in Seattle. Still, .500 is an improvement for a team that has struggled away from home. The good news is that they are a solid 9-4 in their own ball park, and they are 13-10 versus teams in their division this season. This is a team that is down the rankings in runs scored so far, which could pose problems when playing teams, such as the Astros, that are scoring well.
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
The Houston Astros have the opportunity to really open up a big lead early on, and it’s one that I think they will take. I like them to come out and win this series, which includes a win on Saturday night.
