Preview: Angels at Astros, Friday, March 27, 2026

HOUSTON (Interstat) — The Los Angeles Angels look to build on a season-opening shutout when they continue their series against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on Friday night.

The Angels (1-0) blanked the Astros 3-0 on Thursday behind six dominant innings from José Soriano. Houston (0-1) seeks to even the series and avoid a second straight home loss to open the campaign.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. CDT under clear skies with a game-time temperature of 74 degrees.

The pitching matchup features a pair of hurlers coming off strong Opening Day performances in relief. The Angels are expected to start left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, while the Astros will counter with right-hander Mike Burrows. Both pitchers have season records of 0-0.

Angels player to watch: Right-hander José Soriano, who earned the win Thursday with six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out seven. His effort set a high bar for the rotation.

Astros player to watch: Right-hander Hunter Brown, who took a hard-luck loss in the opener despite throwing 4 2/3 scoreless innings and fanning nine Angels batters. The Astros’ offense was unable to support his effort.

Despite the Angels’ opening victory, betting markets and analytics models are split on the rematch. Houston has been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5, and the Interstat ELO system gives the Astros a 65.3% probability to win. However, the same outlet’s game simulator projects a narrow 1-0 Angels victory. The over/under for total runs is set at 8.5.

Following Friday’s contest, the four-game series continues Saturday and Sunday before both clubs hit the road. The Angels will travel to face the Chicago Cubs for three games starting Monday, while the Astros will host the Boston Red Sox for a three-game set beginning the same day.