The San Francisco Giants take on the Los Angeles Angels. Our MLB odds series has our Giants Angels prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Giants Angels.
The San Francisco Giants have had a wild year marked by severe swings and shifts in momentum. The Giants lost 13 of their first 19 games of the season. They looked horrible in April. Then they took off, using a 10-game winning streak as part of a 58-game sequence in which they went 38-20. They were 44-33 for the season. They played roughly break-even ball for their next 18 games and were 54-41 through 95 games. Then they lost six in a row to fall to 54-47. Then they won seven of nine to rise to 61-49. They had seemingly figured things out, right? Not necessarily. The Giants got swept by the lowly Oakland Athletics in a brief two-game series in Oakland. They have lost three of four. The Giants seem to look really good or terrible with little in between. They have an elite closer, Camilo Doval, but when they go through their hitting slumps — and there have been many this year — Doval doesn't enter the equation. Do we really know how good the Giants are in the second week of August? It's an open question, even though this team has a three-game lead for a wild card spot and appears to be in very good playoff position at the moment.
Here are the Giants-Angels MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Giants-Angels Odds
San Francisco Giants: +1.5 (-176)
Los Angeles Angels: -1.5 (+146)
Over: 8 (-118)
Under: 8 (-104)
How To Watch Giants vs. Angels
TV: NBC Sports Bay Area (Giants) / Bally Sports West (Angels) / MLB Extra Innings
Stream: MLB.tv
Time: 9:38 p.m. ET/6:38 p.m. PT
*Watch Giants-Angels LIVE on fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Giants Could Cover The Spread
The Giants have lost nine of their last 10 games on the road after being 24-9 in their previous 33 road games. That might seem like a reason to pick against San Francisco, but when you consider the severe swings and abrupt turnarounds which have marked the Giants' 2023 season, the lesson is that this team never remains set in the same identity. The Giants' trajectory changes just when you think you have this team figured out. The Giants are bound to play better on the road. The Angels have had a miserable month of August and have been terrible since the All-Star break. It is very hard to trust the Angels from a betting standpoint at the moment.
Why The Angels Could Cover The Spread
The Angels have Shohei Ohtani pitching in this game. Ohtani has had occasional bouts of blisters and injured fingernails which have affected his grip of a baseball, but when healthy and able to perform up to his expected standards, Ohtani is an above-average pitcher who can occasionally dominate and who will usually keep his team in the game. The Giants are going through another one of their rough patches this season, so Ohtani should like his odds of being able to limit San Francisco's offensive production.
The Angels are also a good betting choice here because they are in desperation mode. They have virtually no margin for error, being seven games out of the third and final wild card playoff spot in the American League. The Angels won on Tuesday. That win needs to become the start of a big push. If the Halos can't end the month of August three or fewer games out of a playoff spot, it is extremely hard to see how this team can make the postseason and keep Shohei Ohtani for 2024. Motivation is a big reason to go with the Angels. These are basically playoff games right now.
Final Giants-Angels Prediction & Pick
The Angels need to win, but they don't merit trust. Just stay away from this game, even though Ohtani is pitching.
Final Giants-Angels Prediction & Pick: Giants +1.5