Los Angeles Angels @ Houston Astros - April 12, 2025

Alright, folks! Get ready to put on your game faces because we have a showdown brewing that’s bound to stir up some divisional rivalries this Saturday at Daikin Park. The Los Angeles Angels are rolling into town to take on the Houston Astros, and let me tell you, my heart is already racing just thinking about it.

First off, let’s talk about the pitching matchup. The Angels are sending Tyler Anderson to the mound. He may not have a win under his belt yet (0-0 record), but he carries a respectable 4.6 ERA. However, here’s the kicker: he’s facing off against Ryan Gusto of the Astros, who comes in with an impressive 1.1 ERA and a flawless record of 1-0 so far this season. With Gusto’s ability to rack up strikeouts—averaging around 10.8 K’s per game—I’m feeling pretty confident that he’ll keep our boys in check.

Now let’s dive into how these two teams stack up offensively. The Angels come into this matchup averaging nearly 5 runs per game with a solid number of hits (7.6) and RBIs (4.9). They’ve been great at getting on base too, with a stellar slugging percentage of over 71%. But don’t sleep on the Astros; they’ve shown moments of brilliance themselves despite their recent struggles, averaging just over 3 runs per game with decent hitting stats. Yet their batting average lingers around .202, which is not where they want to be as defending champs.

Looking back at their last encounter, it was no secret that the Astros crushed it against the Angels with a whopping score of 14-3! I mean c’mon, after such a lopsided result, you know the Angels will be hungry for revenge—but can they pull it off? History seems stacked against them here as Houston has traditionally dominated these matchups.

The oddsmakers clearly believe in Houston’s chances too; they’ve opened them as -152 favorites for this one! And with both teams pushing towards an Over/Under set at 9 runs—it seems like there might be plenty of fireworks in store given both offenses have been known to break out when least expected.

So what can we expect from this pivotal clash? I’m calling it now: I see our beloved Astros walking away victorious once again! The way Gusto has been dealing from the mound lately gives me all sorts of warm fuzzy feelings. Plus, with both teams needing runs to prove something—especially after that last debacle—we could very well see another high-scoring affair unfolding before our eyes.

Make sure you grab your lucky jersey and tune in because I can promise you one thing—this battle for divisional bragging rights is going to be nothing short of electrifying! Go ‘Stros!