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The Los Angeles Angels continue their series north of the border as they face the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with an Angels-Blue Jays prediction and pick.
The Angels smashed the Blue Jays 12-0 on Friday night in a rare display of power. They started things off quickly in the second, when David Fletcher clipped an RBI double to left, making it 2-0. Then, Shohei Ohtani blasted a triple over the center fielder, giving the Angels a 4-0 lead. Luis Rengifo added an extra run with a single to left.
The Angels added more in the third when Andrew Velasquez delivered a two-run bomb to right-center field. His seventh home run gave the Angels a 7-0 command. Later, Jo Adell crushed a solo shot to left field. It was his eighth home run, giving the Angels a 9-0 lead. Subsequently, he would finish with another to help power an offense that had not done much recently.
Ohtani will take the mound for the Angels today. He is 10-8 with a 2.83 ERA. Recently, Ohtani tossed four innings while allowing three earned runs on five hits with four walks. Everyone would later learn he had a stomach virus. Now. Ohtani hopes to recover from that and throw out his usual excellent stuff.
Alek Manoah takes the mound for the Blue Jays. Manoah is 12-6 with a 2.66 ERA. Recently, he threw six innings while allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits. Manoah is 1-1 with a 3.97 ERA in August. Additionally, he did well in his one start against the Angels, tossing six innings while allowing three earned runs on seven hits with nine strikeouts.
Here are the Angels-Blue Jays MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Angels-Blue Jays Odds
Los Angeles Angels: +1.5 (-172)
Toronto Blue Jays: -1.5 (+142)
Over: 7.5 (+100)
Under: 7.5 (-122)
Why The Angels Could Cover The Spread
The Angels essentially have their entire lineup healthy, minis Anthony Rendon. Now, they will see how they do down the stretch with another season lost.
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Mike Trout, Jo Adell, Ohtani, and Fletcher are the cogs in the offense. However, Trout has struggled against Toronto, batting .227 (5 for 22) with two home runs, four RBIs, and three runs in five games this season. He went 1 for 5 on Friday. Meanwhile, Ohtani is batting .200 (3 for 15) with two home runs, six RBIs, and four runs against the Jays. He, too, went 1 for 5 on Friday. Of course, on Friday, Adell faced the Jays for the first time this season. He went 4 for 5 with two home runs. Thus, it seems he enjoyed meeting them and will look to replicate the effort. Moreover, Fletcher also loved facing the Jays, going 3 for 5 with two RBIs, two runs, and a stolen base.
The Angels will only cover the spread if Ohtani gets run support. Consequently, the Angels have followed a big scoring day with a flat day too much this season. They must avoid repeating the trend. Likewise, Ohtani must retain his stuff.
Why The Blue Jays Could Cover The Spread
The Jays have a plethora of weapons. However, everyone struggled to get the job done yesterday, and they suffered an embarrassing shutout at the hands of one of the worst teams in baseball.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is a threat to everyone. Unfortunately, he has struggled against the Angels this season, batting .176 (3 for 17) with one home run, two RBIs, and two runs. Guerrero went 1 for 5 on Friday. Meanwhile, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is another top hitter. This season, he has done well against the Angels, batting .353 (6 for 17) with six RBIs and a run. Ultimately, Gurriel went 1 for 4 on Friday. George Springer is another top guy. He is batting .278 (5 for 18) with one home run, one RBI, and three runs over five games against the Angels. Additionally, Springer has been an “Angel killer” in his career, going .272 with 26 home runs, 68 RBIs, and 76 runs over 108 games. It equates to a home run every fourth game, an incredible feat. Springer went 1 for 4 on Friday.
The Jays will cover the spread if Manoah can handle this Angels' lineup and bring them back to Earth. Additionally, Guerrero, Gurriel, Springer, and the rest of the lineup must figure out Ohtani.
Final Angels-Blue Jays Prediction & Pick
Ohtani versus Manoah is a great pitching duel and should be a playoff showcase. However, only one team is headed to the playoffs. They still will pitch gracefully, leaving hitters confused early and often. Expect Ohtani and Manoah to have a great duel, with both teams struggling to score. The Angels will fall back to Earth and struggle to score, while the Jays will earn every run they score against Ohtani. Why would anyone pick a winner when the pitchers' duel is so tempting?
Final Angels-Blue Jays Prediction & Pick: Under: 7.5 (-122)
