One could argue the two best offensive players in the American League will be on display in this series opener from Fenway Park in the Angels’ Mike Trout and Red Sox’s Mookie Betts. Trout has won two MVP Awards and is likely to win a third this year, while Betts beat out Trout for the 2018 AL MVP. The Sox are heavy favorites on the MLB Odds Thursday behind Chris Sale.
How to Bet Angels vs Red Sox MLB Odds & Game Info
- When: Thursday, 7:10 PM ET
- Where: Fenway Park
- Probable pitchers (away/home): Dillon Peters/Chris Sale
- TV: MLB Network
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
- Radio: 104.5 The Team
- MLB Odds: Boston Red Sox -265 (Total 10.5)
Weather Forecast
- Mostly Sunny: 29°C/85°F
- Humidity: 50%
- Precipitation: 5%
- Cloud Cover: 24%
- Wind: 11 mph SW
- Stadium Type: Open
Why Bet on LA Angels?
The Halos have faded from Wild-Card content on a six-game losing streak and were swept handily early this week in Cincinnati. LAA went 9-3 in first 12 games after All-Star Break to reach season-high five games over .500 (54-49) but have gone 2-9 since to fall back to three games under .500.
One bright spot Tuesday was Justin Upton hitting a three-run home run. The homer was Upton’s sixth in 34 games this season. The 31-year-old has had a rough year between injury and ineffectiveness, batting .213/.303/.393 after returning from a toe injury that sidelined him for more than two months.
Superstar Mike Trout turned 28 on Wednesday. Trout connected for his A.L. leading 37th home run of the season last night (277 HR in career) on Monday. Trout has hit more than 37 homers twice in career: 41 in 2015 and 39 in 2018. Trout is currently on pace to hit over 50 homers this season which would set a new franchise mark. Shohei Ohtani is batting .317 with 29 runs, 10 doubles, two triples, 12 HRs & 29 RBI his last 53 games.
It’s Dillon Peters on the bump for the Angels. He has made two starts, followed an opener twice and made three traditional relief appearances for Halos in 2019. In his four games as the Angels primary pitcher this season is 2-0 with a 3.22 ERA (22.1 IP – 8 ER).
Peters (2-0) didn’t factor into the decision in Friday’s 7-3 loss to Cleveland, allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out five over 7.2 innings of relief. While entering the game after opener Taylor Cole didn’t allow Peters to qualify for a quality start, the southpaw provided the bulk-relief equivalent, throwing 64 of 104 pitches for strikes to finish out the game and give the rest of the Angels’ bullpen the night off. Peters will take a 3.20 ERA and 19:7 K:BB through 25.1 innings into his next outing Thursday. It’s Peters’ first career start vs. Boston.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 5.01
- Hits: 8.74
- Walks: 3.61
- Strike Outs: 7.26
- Runs: 5.14
- Hits: 8.61
- Walks: 3.54
- Strike Outs: 8.78
Why Bet on Boston?
Boston’s Wild-Card chances are in trouble as the Sox have lost eight of nine entering Wednesday’s series finale against a bad Kansas City team. The Sox snapped an eight-game skid on Monday but then turned around and lost 6-2 on Tuesday. Also Tuesday, the Red Sox snapped a streak of homering in 18 consecutive games at Fenway Park, their longest in the venue’s history. The previous record of 17 had been held since 1969.
Second baseman and former AL MVP Dustin Pedroia underwent a left knee joint preservation procedure on Tuesday. The veteran has already openly discussed the possibility that he might never play again, even with two-plus years and about $30 million remaining on his contract with Boston.
It’s struggling Red Sox ace Chris Sale (5-11). Sale allowed eight runs on nine hits and no walks while striking out four across 3.2 innings to take the loss Saturday against the Yankees. Sale looked good in the first three innings, allowing only a leadoff homer to D.J. LeMahieu. However, the Yankees reached him for seven runs on seven hits in the fourth, including LeMahieu’s second homer. While he has a disappointing 4.68 ERA, the left-hander has still generated 193 strikeouts and holds a 1.14 WHIP across 132.2 innings.
Sale is 200 strikeouts away from his seventh straight 200-strikeout season. Sale and the Astros’ Gerrit Cole lead MLB with 12 games of 10+ SO this season. Sale leads MLB with 13.09 SO/9.0 IP and is 3rd with 193 SO. Since the start of May, he leads MLB with 14.11 SO/9.0 IP. Sale will be making his first career start against the Angels at Fenway Park. His 1.23 career ERA (7 ER/51.1 IP) against LAA is his lowest among opponents (min. 5 GS).
The Red Sox have won 14 of their last 15 games when their starting pitcher throws 6.0+ innings and allows 3 ER or fewer (beginning 6/12).
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 5.73
- Hits: 9.78
- Walks: 3.70
- Strike Outs: 8.44
- Runs: 5.23
- Hits: 8.94
- Walks: 3.50
- Strike Outs: 10.03
Angels vs Red Sox MLB Betting Trends
- Angels are 0-4 in their last 4 during game 1 of a series
- Red Sox are 1-5 in Sale’s last 6 starts vs. American League West
- Under is 3-1-1 in the last 5 meetings in Boston
- Angels are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games on the road
- The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Angels’ last 6 games against an opponent in the American League East division
- Red Sox are 2-9 SU in their last 11 games this season
- The total has gone OVER in 8 of Boston’s last 9 games at home
Expert Final Score Prediction for Angels vs Red Sox
Los Angeles Angels 2 – Boston Red Sox 6
