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The slumping Guardians will look to finally get a win under their belts as they square off with the surging Angels at Angel Stadium on Thursday. Join us for our MLB odds series, where our Guardians-Angels prediction and pick will be unveiled for all to see.
Cleveland enters play on Thursday in a brutal funk, as the Guardians have now lost six straight after being swept by the Yankees prior to losing the first three games of the series in Anaheim. Entering his fourth start of the season, RHP Cal Quantrill will be tasked with stopping the bleeding, as Quantrill is 1-0 with a 3.94 ERA. Through 18 games, Cleveland stands at 7-11.
Unlike the Guardians, LA may be starting to hit their stride. With the Angels dominating Cleveland over the past 27 innings played between the two clubs, the Angels have won six of eight and are getting hot. Hoping to continue the domination of the Guardians will be the southpaw Reid Detmers, who is looking to improve his 6.57 ERA in a trio of starts to open up 2022.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Guardians-Angels MLB odds:
MLB Odds: Guardians-Angels Odds
Cleveland Guardians: +1.5 (-134)
Los Angeles Angels: -1.5 (+114)
Over: 8.5 (-120)
Under: 8.5 (-102)
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Why The Guardians Could Cover the Spread
Things have gone from bad to worse for Cleveland, as the once scalding hot bats have been silenced during the losing skid. Over the past six games, the Guardians are only averaging 2.17 runs per game while compiling a porous .558 OPS throughout the lineup. In three games versus the Angels, Cleveland is being outscored 16-6 and has yet to see a string of productive at-bats come together collectively.
To make matters worse, the Guardians' pitching hasn't been much better, as the bigger picture tells us that they struggle to get outs in the most critical moments of games. In the 9-5 loss yesterday, Cleveland was behind the 8 ball as soon as the first pitch was thrown, as RHP Zach Plesac gave up six runs in the two opening frames of the ballgame, ultimately making it nearly impossible for the Guardians to get back in the win column.
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As a team, Cleveland is struggling on the mound with a 3.93 ERA, which only ranks as the 21st best mark in the majors.
Yes, the bats have been colder than walking out of the shower with no towel, but this aspect of Cleveland's game will still most likely be the reason they could cover against the Angels. In fact, it wasn't too long ago that the Guardians led the entire league in multiple offensive categories. However, that was then, and this is now. Who will step up when Cleveland needs it the most? The Guardians may get a boost at the plate with the return of first-baseman Owen Miller, who has missed the last five games with a COVID-related illness. Miller is hitting .450 with a 1.300 OPS in 40 at-bats so far this year.
Why The Angels Could Cover the Spread
Mike Trout is officially back. With Trout's only kryptonite being his durability over his 11-year career, there is no on more feared in all of baseball when the 30-year-old steps into the box and is fully healthy. As of late, Trout has been a force to reckon with, as he is 11-22 with three homers, three doubles, one triple, and seven RBIs since returning to action last Friday. On the season, Trout leads the Angels with a .365 batting average.
LA has been one of the best hitting clubs that the league has to offer, as they are the most prolific scoring team with 95 runs crossing the plate in 19 games, good for an average of nearly five runs per contest.
Making his fourth start of the season, it is vital that Detmers gets off to a good start against Cleveland. In his last outing versus the Guardians a year ago on Aug. 31st, Detmers was roughed up in the game's opening frames, as he gave up three runners including allowing a total of ten baserunners in 3 1/3 innings pitched. While the Angels pitcher has yet to showcase his efficiency in 2022, Detmers; pitching arsenal can still help him miss bats at a high rate. Looking for only his second MLB victory, Detmers is coming off his best start of the year where he limited the Orioles to two runs in five innings tossed.
The key in this one for the Angels will be getting off to another quick start, as they would surely love to avoid a close contest in the late innings of this series finale, especially with Cleveland possibly finding a groove at the plate with their five runs off eleven hits yesterday.
Final Guardians-Angels Prediction & Pick
Until Cleveland can put together a complete game, it is unwise to put your money on the Guardians. While they are capable of making this a game with an unstable Detmers on the mound, this Angels lineup can put up crooked numbers at a furious rate. While the Guardians are maybe starting to play more competitively, Los Angeles take care of business on Thursday evening.
Final Guardians-Angels Pick: Angels -1.5 (+114)
