<p>The defending National League champion Houston Astros shoot for a 2-0 start to this season when they meet up with the Angels for Game 2 of this AL West series Friday night in Anaheim.<br />
Rookie righty Reid Detmers gets the call here for the home team against veteran Jake Odorizzi for the visitors.</p>
<p>How are we playing this game with our free baseball betting pick?</p>
<h2>MLB Betting Odds</h2>
<p>Friday's baseball betting lines opened the Angels and Detmers at -115 over Houston and Odorizzi, with an over/under of nine runs. Early betting action then dipped that line to basically a pick 'em and bumped that total to 9.5.</p>
<h2>Astros-Angels MLB Betting Preview </h2>
<p>Houston grabbed the opener of this season-opening series Thursday night, 3-1. The Astros took the early lead with a run in the top of the third inning, tacked on two more in the top of the eighth, and hung on from there for the win and the cash as +110 underdogs on the betting line.</p>
<p>Also, Thursday's game played under a total of nine runs.</p>
<p>Houston, as we recall, won 95 games last season to win the AL West again, then beat the White Sox and Boston to win the AL pennant before falling to Atlanta in six games in the World Series. The Astros played over their season wins over/under of 91.5 last season, and they're playing against an O/U this season of 90.5.</p>
<p>Los Angeles, meanwhile, played 77-85 last season, going under its wins over/under of 83. This year the Angels are playing against a wins O/U of 83.5.</p>
<p>Houston took the season series from Los Angeles last year, 13 games to six.</p>
<h2>Friday's Pitching Match-Up</h2>
<p>Detmers will be making his sixth career start Friday night. Last year he hit 1/5 on quality starts, and that one QS just happened to come against Houston. On the whole last year, Detmers posted a 7.40 ERA and a 1.79 WHIP over 20 2/3 innings of work.</p>
<p>Los Angeles played 2-3 with Detmers last season.</p>
<p>In his only career start against the Astros last August, Detmers allowed just one run and three hits through six innings, with two walks and six strikeouts, in a 3-1 Angels victory.</p>
<p>Odorizzi hit just 2/23 on quality starts last season, although some of that had to do with a short leash. Eight times last year he pitched to within three outs or less of a QS, only to get pulled. On the whole, Odorizzi posted a 4.21 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP over 104 2/3 innings last season.</p>
<p>Houston played 12-11 with Odorizzi last year.</p>
<p>Over his last two starts against the Angels, both back in 2019 while with Minnesota, Odorizzi allowed three runs and 12 hits through 10 1/3 innings. The Twins won both those games.</p>
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<span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="color:#008000;"><span style="background-color:#ffffff;">Get more details:</span></span> <a class="advblue" href="https://www.sportsbettingstats.com/mlb/matchup/1607221">Houston at LA Angels 4/8/22 Betting Stats</a></span>
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<h2>Splits With the Sticks</h2>
<p>Houston batted .266 against right-handed pitching last season, with a .339 team OBP and a .442 team slugging percentage. Numbers like those caused us to rank this Astros line-up among the top two or three in the Majors in that split.</p>
<p>Los Angels slashed .243/.307/.400 against right-handed pitching last season.</p>
<h2>The Bullpens</h2>
<p>The Houston bullpen posted a 4.06 ERA last season, along with a 1.30 WHIP.</p>
<p>The Angels pen put up a 4.59 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP last season.</p>
<h2>MLB Betting Trends </h2>
<ul>
<li>The Astros played 44-37 on the road last season.</li>
<li>The Angels played 39-42 at home last season.</li>
<li>The Astros played 34-28 against left-handed starters last season.</li>
<li>The Angels played 47-60 against right-handed starters last season.</li>
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<h2>Totals Report </h2>
<p>The overs played 86-68 in Astros games last season.</p>
<p>The overs played 87-72 in Angels games last season.</p>
<p>The overs played 48-31 at Angel Stadium last season.</p>