Baseball purists were not necessarily on board when the MLB announced that interleague games would become part of the regular season calendar. In reality, though, the move has proven to be a very good one, as it delivers series that we seldom if ever get to see, whilst also providing a little bit of excitement in portions of the season when the 162-game schedule starts to become a little bogged down. We certainly have an interesting one on tap this weekend in California, with the Dodgers and Angels going head to head, with the first game in this 3-game series set to go on Friday night in Anaheim.
The Dodgers come in as the MLB Betting favorites and will be looking to continue with their strong recent play, a solid run that has seen them land back on top of the NL West. The Angels will be looking to stop the bleeding, as they are in danger of falling below .500 on the season, which is disappointing when you consider the start they made to 2018. Which of these teams will come out on top in the battle of California?
As mentioned earlier, a loss on Friday night would see the Angels dip below the .500 mark, which makes you wonder what moves, if any, they will make at the trade deadline. Home field may not help here, as the Angels are a game below .500 in their own building. Felix Pena (1-0, 3.71 ERA) will start for the Angels.
Game Preview & MLB Betting Pick: Dodgers vs Angels
Kenta Maeda takes the mound in the series opener against the Angels. #Dodgers
🔗: https://t.co/SKrQ8PMJEv pic.twitter.com/TbWSRaDZjt — Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) 6 de julio de 2018
- When: Friday, July 6 at 10:07 PM EST
- Where: Angel Stadium, Anaheim
- Starting Pitchers: Kenta Maeda vs Felix Pena
- TV: MLB Extra Innings
- Radio: TuneIn
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
- MLB Betting Odds: Los Angeles Dodgers -119 / Los Angeles Angels +109 (Over/Under at 9)
Recent Head to Head (Last 10 Games)
- Runs: Los Angeles Dodgers 3.60 / Los Angeles Angels 3.90
- Hits: Los Angeles Dodgers 6.90 / Los Angeles Angels 7.90
- Walks: Los Angeles Dodgers 3.50 / Los Angeles Angels 2.40
- Strikeouts: Los Angeles Dodgers 6.80 / Los Angeles Angels 8.80
Oakland at Cleveland MLB Odds & Betting Prediction
Why bet on the LA Dodgers?
It wasn’t so very long ago that the Dodgers were well adrift of the lead in the West after a disastrous start to the season. The cream always seems to find a way to rise to the top, though, and that is exactly what has happened with the Dodgers. They are now 8 games above .500 and have a share of the division lead with the Arizona Diamondbacks. They come into this game having won 4 in a row and 6 of their last 10. The road has been kind to the Dodgers this season, as they have a better record away from home than they do at Dodger Stadium, going 21-16 in road games. They have not played many interleague games, but have had success when they did, going 3-1. It will be Kenta Maeda (5-5, 3.36 ERA) on the mound for this one.Team Statistics
Offense- Runs: 4.85
- Hits: 8.31
- Walks: 3.80
- Strikeouts: 8.35
- Runs: 3.99
- Hits: 8.33
- Walks: 2.79
- Strikeouts: 9.49
How to Bet Phillies vs Pirates MLB Lines & Expert Pick
Why bet on the LA Angels?
After a barnstorming start to the season, the Angels now find themselves 13 ½ games off the pace in the AL West. Barring some sort of miraculous second half, the playoffs now look like an extreme longshot for this team. The reality is that outside of Mike Trout, no-one is really doing enough to elevate the Angels and get them on a positive run. They are middle of the pack in just about every category on offense and pitching, which simply isn’t good enough for a team with postseason aspirations.
As mentioned earlier, a loss on Friday night would see the Angels dip below the .500 mark, which makes you wonder what moves, if any, they will make at the trade deadline. Home field may not help here, as the Angels are a game below .500 in their own building. Felix Pena (1-0, 3.71 ERA) will start for the Angels.
Team Statistics
Offense- Runs: 4.40
- Hits: 8.34
- Walks: 3.31
- Strikeouts: 7.62
- Runs: 4.24
- Hits: 8.41
- Walks: 3.43
- Strikeouts: 9.01
Latest MLB Betting Trends
- Dodgers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games
- Dodgers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Dodgers’s last 5 games
- Angels are 5-18 ATS in their last 23 games
- Angels are 3-9 SU in their last 12 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Angels’ last 7 games
