Today's MLB story will be two-fold regarding the playing-for-nothing Los Angeles Angels finishing an AL West series in Houston. First off, I believe the home side is in a great position to win, and it darn well better be, as Houston has burned me recently a few times. And second, I have some updated sports betting numbers regarding Astros superstar Yordan Alvarez and his quest for the AL Triple Crown.
ET first pitch from Daikin Park, the latest start of the night because it's a getaway day and most games are matinees. Bet $5+ and get $150 in bonus bets instantly when you bet on baseball at DraftKings: Fans who are interested in MLB betting can try it on the best sports betting apps and get bonuses. They can also check out the SportsLine Projection Model for picks on games like Angels vs.
Astros from the model's 10,000 simulations, as well as from our experts. Let's be clear that Alvarez is going to win his first MVP Award, as he is priced at -1400 (was -1200 yesterday at DK), and he would become the third Astros player to win such. Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell won it in 1994, when Houston was in the National League, and future Hall of Famer and current teammate Jose Altuve took the honor in 2017.
What might happen to Alvarez's MVP chances should the Astros finish below .500 (although 80-82 might even be enough to win the weak AL West)? A handful of guys have won league MVP awards playing for losing teams, including Shohei Ohtani as recently as 2023 in the AL with the Angels. He won that because Ohtani shined as a hitter and pitcher and is a total unicorn.
But a Triple Crown winner is a unicorn, too. And if Alvarez gets that, it doesn't matter what Houston's final regular-season record looks like. Place your Angels-Astros wagers and get $1,500 in bonus bets back at BetMGM Sportsbook:: Entering Thursday, the 35-year-old Alvarez leads the Junior Circuit in batting average (.317; eight points better than No. 2 Chandler Simpson of Tampa Bay), homers (36; one more than No. 2 Junior Caminero of the Rays) and RBI (88; six better than No. 2 Dillon Dingler of Detroit and Pete Alonso of Baltimore).
It's unlikely Alvarez becomes the first player to win the overall Triple Crown when including both leagues since Mickey Mantle in 1956, as he doesn't lead any as of today but is obviously close in all three. The last Triple Crown winner from either league was the Tigers' Miguel Cabrera in 2012, when he led the majors in homers and RBI and was second in batting average despite sitting at .330 – six points behind then-Giants catcher Buster Posey, who now runs San Francisco's front office (and not very well of late). Even winning the AL version is far from a done deal.
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