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The New York Yankees will host the Los Angeles Angels for the second of a four-game set at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night. It’s time to continue our MLB odds series and make a Angels-Yankees prediction and pick.
Los Angeles took the series opener by a score of 5-3 behind home runs from Juan Lagares and Shohei Ohtani. New York continues to struggle and their postseason hopes are quickly fading. Both clubs are in fourth place in their respective divisions and these games could prove crucial down the stretch.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Angels-Yankees odds.
MLB Odds: Angels-Yankees Odds
Los Angeles Angels +1.5 (-135)
New York Yankees -1.5 (+115)
Over 10 Runs (-102)
Under 10 Runs (-118)
Why The Angels Could Cover The Spread
The Angels won their second consecutive game on Monday night with the impressive 5-3 victory against the Yankees. The Angels are 5-5 over their last 10 games to date, and a series win here could really catapult them back to relevance. They have one of the best lineups in all of baseball that is anchored by the MVP favorite, Shohei Ohtani.
Los Angeles currently ranks eighth in runs per game, fourth in team batting average and hits per game, and sixth in home runs per game. The Angels are sticking around because of the elevated play of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani is tied for first in the majors in home runs with 26 and third in RBI with 60. He also anchors a pitching staff that has really struggled this season. Los Angeles is currently allowing 5.39 runs per game on the road.
The Angels will turn to left-hander Andrew Heaney for the second game of the series. Heaney hasn't been pitching well this year with a 4-5 record and 4.72 ERA through 13 starts. The southpaw has lost two starts in a row, allowing five runs in his last start against the San Francisco Giants. Heaney will lean on the strikeouts as he has improved his swing-and-miss rate this season.
Why The Yankees Could Cover The Spread
Things couldn't be going worse for the Yankees right now. New York was looking for a bounce-back win after a horrible weekend series that saw them get swept by the Boston Red Sox in brutal fashion. The Yankees have slipped to fourth in the division and 7.5 games back of first after their fourth straight loss on Monday night.
New York has been solely dependent on the long ball. Although the Yankees have been hitting quite a bunch of them, it hasn't really helped them much. The Yankees have hit the ninth-most home runs in the majors, but they still rank just 23rd in runs per game. Aaron Judge has been trying to hold this lineup together as he leads the way in batting average, home runs, RBI, and OBP for his club. The depleted pitching staff has been solid for New York with the 10th-fewest runs per game allowed in the league.
New York will hand the ball to right-hander Jameson Taillon in an attempt to get back in the winning column. Taillon has had a forgettable season with a 2-4 record and 5.18 ERA through 14 starts. He is coming off two straight promising starts with just three runs allowed through his last 11 innings of work. The Yankees will be hoping that the veteran right-hander will bring some confidence into this start.
Final Angels-Yankees Prediction & Pick
The Yankees had championship aspirations heading into this season. Although those may now be afterthoughts, I expect them to compete down the stretch. The Yankees are talented enough to turn this around, which will start with wins against underwhelming clubs like the Angels. Jameson Taillon has been impressive lately, so I expect him to continue his recent level of success. Meanwhile, Andrew Heaney has been really bad this season. If the Yankees can't figure him out, they are in even more trouble than any of us thought. They will get a big win on Tuesday night.
FINAL PICK: New York Yankees ML (-150)
