Houston Astros vs Los Angeles Angels Prediction & Picks - MLB

Prediction published on 9/26/25, 6:12 PM  by Carlos Zabala in MLB Picks

The Astros fizzled out in September; it's also true that they were "replaced" at the top of the AL West by the Mariners. Seattle managed to sweep the Astros in Houston, a losing streak that the Astros extended in Sacramento against the A's. They played poor baseball, and with one series against the Angels remaining, the Astros are currently unusually out of the playoffs.

But there's good news for Joe Espada's team, with a strong clutch outing from Framber Valdez and a bat that's finally coming around; they still have time to get into the playoffs. Altuve went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, Paredes went 2-for-3, and the Astros salvaged the final game of the series against the Athletics, winning 11-5.

Conveniently for the Astros, they close out their season against the Angels at Angel Stadium, a team they've dominated for the past five years. Furthermore, the Tigers and Red Sox play each other; This is excellent news for the Astros, as they are assured that a team that leads them by one game for the Wild Card spot at this point will necessarily lose two games before the end of the season.

As for the Angels, they are coming off a loss to the Royals in a game that epitomizes their season: poor starting pitching with a home-run offense. In Thursday's 4-9 loss, Adell hit his 37th home run of his career season, and Schanuel hit his 12th.