Los Angeles Angels at Oakland Athletics Betting Preview/Prop Picks
08 August 2022
The Los Angeles Angels have had a tough season with a record of 46-63. On the road, they have a 22-31 record, which doesn’t bode well for their odds tonight.
However, they’re facing the Oakland Athletics, one of the worst batting teams in the league. If there’s a game that the Angels should win, it’s this one. Still, because of prior performances, they’re the underdogs.
The Oakland Athletics are 41-68 this season with a 17-35 record at home. They’ve lost three of their last five games but have a few notable wins. The question tonight is whether or not their batting group can put up a few runs.
If they can, the Athletics could take down the Angels. If not, they’ll have to mark another loss on their record. Let’s look at both teams and make our pick.
Los Angeles Angels: Jose Suarez will take the mound tonight
Many already know that the Angels have two superstar batters in its lineup. Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani have both put up strong seasons so far.
The problem is the supporting cast hasn’t held up their end of the bargain. With a team batting average of .229, the Angels rank 26th in Major League Baseball. They have an on-base percentage of .299, ranking 27th.
Getting the start on the mound tonight is Jose Suarez, who is 3-4 as a starter. Suarez has an ERA of 4.55 over the span of 55.1 innings. Through this time, he’s thrown 53 strikeouts and allowed only nine home runs.
His ERA might not be the best, but he’s definitely a good option as the starting pitcher. With Suarez on the mound, the Angels have a good chance to win this one.
Oakland Athletics: A better performance at the plate is needed
If the Athletics want to pull off a win tonight, they’ll need to be better at the plate. As bad as the Angels have been this season, the Athletics have been much worse.
They rank 30th overall, with a team batting average of .216 this season. They have an on-base percentage of .277, ranking last in MLB as well. They nearly rank last in runs after scoring only 374 this season.
Their performance at the plate is the reason why they’ll lose this game. They have a good starting pitcher in Cole Irvin, who is 6-8 this year with a 3.04 ERA. Even if Irvin has a great game, the batters have trouble putting up runs.
This is what usually leads to the Athletics losing games. So, in our opinion, the better team to place a bet on is the Los Angeles Angels.
Los Angeles Angels vs. Oakland Athletics Betting Pick
The Oakland Athletics are starting a better pitcher in Cole Irvin, but the Angels have the bats. Oakland’s problem the entire year has been the inability to capitalize at the plate. With guys like Ohtani and Trout, the Angels don’t have that problem.
They do, however, have several other issues that will need to be addressed before the season is over. This game gives the Angels a chance to boost morale and get a win on the road. We’ll take the Angels at +108 and the over tonight.
DunkelIndex Free Pick: Los Angeles Angels +108, OVER
Prop Picks
LA Angels (-135) OVER 3.5 Runs
Oakland is allowing 4.50 runs per 9 innings on defense, which ranks No. 22 in the league. That average increases to 4.75 runs per 9 innings at home. Scores have gone OVER in five of the A’s last six home games.
With Dunkel predicting an LA road victory by the score of 5-4, take the Angels (-135) to finish OVER their Vegas team total of 3.5 runs against the A's.
LA Angels (-135) Most Hits
LA is averaging 7.60 hits per 9 innings on offense, which ranks No. 26 in the league. Oakland is averaging 7.08 hits per 9 innings on offense, which ranks No. 30 in the league. That average decreases to 6.52 hits per 9 innings at home.
With Dunkel predicting an Angels road win while going OVER their Vegas run total, take LA (-135) to finish with more hits than Oakland.
Shohei Ohtani (+135) OVER 0.5 Runs Scored
Ohtani has scored 60 runs in 396 at-bats this season, which ranks No. 1 on the Angels. The DH has scored 7 runs in 40 at-bats against Oakland, which is the second most he has scored against a team.
With Dunkel predicting the final score going OVER the Vegas run total, take Ohtani (+135) to finish OVER 0.5 runs scored against the A’s.
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