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The New York Mets will end their Southern California road trip as they begin a three-game series with the Los Angeles Angels on Friday. It's time to continue our MLB odds coverage with a Mets-Angels prediction and pick.
The Mets are coming off a series against the San Diego Padres where they lost two of three games. So far, they are 3-4 on this Southern California road trip and keeping themselves going thanks to solid hitting and decent pitching. They remain in first place in the NL East despite the injuries of Max Scherzer and Jacob DeGrom. Now, they must weather the storm and keep going despite their ailments.
The Angels finally ended a franchise-record 14-game losing streak by defeating the Boston Red Sox to avoid a four-game sweep. Shohei Ohtani pitched seven innings, allowing one earned run on four hits with six strikeouts and two walks. Additionally, Ohtani helped his own cause by smacking a two-run home run in the sixth to give the Angels the lead. Andrew Velasquez also contributed with a three-run bomb to give the Angels some insurance. The Angels somehow remain in second place in the AL West despite the long slump. They look to pick up the pieces as they welcome the Mets to the Big A.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Mets-Angels odds:
MLB odds: Mets-Angels Odds
Mets: -1.5 (+136) ML (-124)
Angels: +1.5 (-164) ML (+106)
Over: 8.5 (-120)
Under: 8.5 (-102)
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Why The Mets Could Cover The Spread
The Mets remain one of the best teams in baseball. They have done this with the best hitting on the grid and quality pitching. Now, Tyler Megill returns to the rotation on Friday after sitting out nearly a month with a biceps injury. He is 4-2 with a 4.41 ERA. Megill left his start on May 11 after allowing eight earned runs on eight hits and one walk through just 1 1/3 innings. Now, he looks to prove he has recovered and is ready to take charge. Megill has the support of the best offense in baseball.
The Mets are first in batting average, first in on-base percentage, second in runs scored, and ninth in slugging percentage. Jeff McNeil is their leader with a .314 batting average, .368 on-base percentage, and 27 runs. The Mets do not hit many home runs. When they do, they make it count. Pete Alonso leads the Mets with 16 home runs and 54 RBIs. Also, he is hitting .282 with a .546 slugging percentage. Alonso is the perfect hybrid player that most teams want. He can crush you with power and hurt you when his power is lagging.
The Mets will cover the spread if Megill can shut down the Angels' lineup as many pitchers did during the 14-game losing streak. Additionally, they must rediscover the spark that gave them the best offense in baseball. The Mets have to strike early to relieve pressure off their bullpen, which has allowed 11 earned runs over three games. It will give them the best chance to win.
Why The Angels Could Cover The Spread
The Angels will go with Jhonathan Diaz on the mound. He is 1-0 with a 1.32 ERA and is getting the call for the start. Diaz last pitched on June 2, allowing two earned runs on four hits through four innings against the New York Yankees. He has pitched effectively in limited opportunities for the Angels and hopes to continue that trend against a top-tier offense.
It is difficult to believe that three weeks ago the Angels were one of the best offenses in baseball. Now, the Angels rank 16th in batting average, 18th in on-base percentage, 11th in runs scored, and 11th in slugging percentage. They still rank sixth in home runs, but that is almost useless when no one is getting on base. Mike Trout just snapped a mystifying 0 for 26 slump. Also, he suffered an injury running the bases and is questionable for today's game. Ohtani is still around and hit his 12th home run in 2022 in last night's game. He will try and help the Angels overcome the injuries to Trout, Anthony Rendon, and Taylor Ward.
The Angels cover the spread if they get to Megill early, and Ohtani produces on offense. Also, the Angels cover if they get a good outing out of Lorenzen. The Angels need someone other than Ohtani to spark the offense and a decent performance from a bullpen that ranks 21st in team ERA.
Final Mets-Angels Prediction & Pick
The Mets are the superior team and will likely go to the World Series if they can get past the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Angels have fallen back to Earth with their recent slide. However, the Angels have the better starter for this one. The only way the Mets cover is if the Angels bullpen implodes. The game will be close, and the Angels somehow find a way to win.
Final Mets-Angels-Mets Prediction & Pick: Angels ML (+106)
