Angels vs. Astros Prediction, Odds, Probable Pitchers, Prop Bets for MLB Opening Day

An AL West battle takes place on MLB Opening Day, as the Los Angeles Angels hit the road to play the Houston Astros.

Both teams failed to make the playoffs last season, as Houston fell out of the AL West and wild card race with a slow finish to the regular season. Then, the Astros lost star lefty Framber Valdez to the Detroit Tigers in free agency this offseason.

Still, oddsmakers have set Houston as a sizable favorite on Opening Day with righty Hunter Brown (2.43 ERA last season) on the mound. Brown finished third in the AL Cy Young voting in the 2025 season, earning the first All-Star nod of his career in the process.

He’ll take on Angels right-hander Jose Soriano (4.26 ERA last season), who is coming off career highs in starts (31), innings (169.0) and strikeouts (152). Los Angeles is facing an uphill battle to make the playoffs in the AL, but if Soriano turns into a true frontline starter, it would certainly raise the team’s ceiling.

Let’s dive into the odds, a player prop to consider and my prediction for this Opening Day clash.

Angels vs. Astros Odds, Run Line and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Run Line

Angels +1.5 (-131)
Astros -1.5 (+109)

Moneyline

Angels: +153
Astros: -186

Total

8 (Over -112/Under -108)

Angels vs. Astros Probable Pitchers

Los Angeles: Jose Soriano (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Houston: Hunter Brown (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Angels vs. Astros How to Watch

Date: Thursday, March 26
Time: 4:10 p.m. EST
Venue: Daikin Park
How to Watch (TV): FanDuel Sports West and Space City Home Network
Angels record: 0-0
Astros record: 0-0

Angels vs. Astros Best MLB Prop Bet

Astros Best MLB Prop Bet

Hunter Brown 7+ Strikeouts (-180)

Last season, no team struck out more than the Angels (over 10 per game), and they struggled mightily against Brown, mustering just two runs and five hits in 11.0 innings against him.

Brown only struck out nine batters during those two starts, but he did punch out 206 batters in 185.1 innings overall. So, his strikeout prop being all the way up at 7.5 isn’t a surprise on Thursday.

I’m going to move this line slightly, taking Brown to record seven or more K’s. He had 17 starts with seven strikeouts in the 2025 season.

Angels vs. Astros Prediction and Pick

Both of Brown’s starts against the Angels last season were low-scoring games, as the two teams combined for five (in 10 innings) and three runs.

Meanwhile, Soriano dominated the Houston lineup, throwing seven innings of one-hit ball in his second start against the Astros and 6.2 innings of three-hit, one-run ball in his first outing.

So, both of these starters are capable of keeping this game in check in the early innings.

Last year, the UNDER hit in 53.3 percent of Houston’s games, including 53.9 percent of its games at home. I think we will see a low-scoring matchup on Thursday afternoon.

Pick: UNDER 8 (-108 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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