In a season as short as the a6 games in the NFL, it is often easy to pinpoint exactly when things went sour for a team. That’s a little tougher to see over the course of a 162-game season, especially when you consider that every team in the league goes through a series of ups and downs during the regular season. Identifying the exact moment when it becomes clear that a team is not good enough to be in the postseason is not so easy unless that team is awful from the start.
In many cases, it is a slow, painful death that teams experience over the course of the season, falling down the standings as other teams improve and pass them by. The Pittsburgh Pirates hung around for a while, but that had more to do with an unpredictable division than anything they were doing. The LA Angels are a lot like the Pirates in that they were in the hunt for a minute, although you never really felt they could make a serious push. It will be those two hooking up in interleague play on Tuesday night, with the Angels favored by 1 ½ and the run total set at 9 ½.
Pirates vs Angels MLB Odds, Game Info & Prediction
- When: Tuesday, August 13 at 10:07 PM EST
- Where: Angels Stadium, Anaheim
- Starting Pitchers: Williams vs. Canning
- TV: MLB Extra Innings
- Radio: AM 830
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
- MLB Odds: Los Angeles Angels -160 (Total 9.5)
Athletics vs Giants MLB Odds & Pick for Tuesday Night
Weather Forecast
- Sunny: 26°C/78°F
- Humidity: 52%
- Precipitation: 0%
- Cloud Cover: 0%
- Wind: 8 mph SSW
- Stadium Type: Open
Why bet on the Pittsburgh Pirates?
The Pirates spent a good deal of the season hovering around the .500 mark, but when they started to go south, they did so very quickly. They are now a staggering 20 games below .500 at 49-69 and are the winners of just 2 of their last 10 games. Their drop-off has been truly staggering, to the point where you have a tough time making a case for them to win in any game that they play.
They have now fallen to 24-32 on the road this season and are not much better at home, but where they have been a very good bet is in interleague play. The Pirates are sitting at 11-4 versus teams from the American League, which includes a 10-2 thumping of the Angels in the opening game of this series. The Pirates will have Trevor Williams (4-5, 5.06 ERA) on the mound.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 4.65
- Hits: 9.26
- Walks: 2.69
- Strike Outs: 7.73
- Runs: 5.50
- Hits: 9.21
- Walks: 3.53
- Strike Outs: 8.79
Why bet on the LA Angels?
The Angels have a competitive edge in that they have the best player in baseball on their team. When you have Mike Trout in the line-up, you have a difference-maker who gives you a shot at winning every night. The issue here is that he cannot do it all alone, with the Angels sporting the 58-62 record that supports that very theory. This is a team that is limping towards the finish line rather quietly, going just 2-8 in their last 10 games.
They are playing .500 ball (29-29) at home, but that is not good enough for a team with playoff aspirations, which have already died this season. LA is 11-7 SU in interleague play, but that did not help them on Monday night. Griffin Canning (4-6, 4.76 ERA) will start for the Angels.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 5.01
- Hits: 8.63
- Walks: 3.62
- Strike Outs: 7.36
- Runs: 5.22
- Hits: 8.66
- Walks: 3.54
- Strike Outs: 8.76
Diamondbacks vs Rockies MLB Lines & Game Preview
Pirates vs Angels MLB Betting Trends
- Pirates are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
- The total has gone OVER in 7 of Pittsburgh’s last 10 games this season
- Angels are 2-8 SU in their last 10 games at home
- The total has gone UNDER in 8 of LA Angels’ last 12 games against an opponent in the National League
- Pirates are 24-42 against the money line in August games over the last 3 seasons
- Angels are 60-44 against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons
- Pirates are 1-0 (+1.4 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Pirates vs Angels
Given the pitching match-up and how things have gone for these two of late, I think that the OVER is the bet to go with here. I am taking the Angels to win a close one.
Score: Pittsburgh Pirates 6 – LA Angels 7
