The Los Angeles Angels will play host to the San Francisco Giants in the opener of this inter-league series on Tuesday night. It’s time to continue our MLB odds series and make a Giants-Angels prediction and pick.
This inter-league matchup should feature a ton of fireworks from some of the biggest bats in baseball. The talk of the league has been Angels two-way player Shohei Ohtani, who has been crushing home runs at the plate and neutralizing opposing bats on the bump. He is certainly in early MVP conversations and has become the most exciting player to watch. His Angels will have their hands full with this Giants team that possesses the best record in the Majors.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Giants-Angels odds.
MLB Odds: Giants-Angels Odds
San Francisco Giants +1.5 (-181)
Los Angeles Angels -1.5 (+161)
Over 8.5 Runs (-120)
Under 8.5 Runs (+100)
Why The Giants Could Cover The Spread
The San Francisco Giants have caught the league off guard with their tremendous play through the first two and a half months of the season. They have the best record in the Majors at 46-26 coming in. The Giants have won six of their last seven games and just defeated the Phillies by a score of 11-2 in their most recent outing.
San Francisco is one of the best long-ball hitting clubs in the league this season. They currently average 4.97 runs per game, which is good for fifth in baseball. They have scored a whopping 54 runs over their last six games played. Their pitching and defense have been just as stellar as they allow the fifth-fewest runs, seventh-fewest hits, and the least amount of walks per game in the Majors.
San Francisco will turn to right-hander Anthony DeSclafani for the series opener. DeSclafani came away victorious in his last start as he held the D-backs to two runs over five innings. The Giants starter has won each of his last three starts, posting a 1.35 ERA during that span. DeSclafani has put together a terrific season with a 7-2 record, 3.01 ERA, and 71 strikeouts through his first 14 starts of the season.
Why The Angels Could Cover The Spread
Despite the extended absence of Mike Trout, the Los Angeles Angels have looked like a club that has turned a corner over the past few weeks. The Angels have won nine of their last 13 games and are now 36-36 on the season. They’ve been phenomenal at home with wins in six of their last seven games at Angel Stadium as well.
Los Angeles has been crushing the ball this season as they average 4.96 runs per game, which is the sixth-best mark in baseball. They are led by two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani who hit a six home runs and earned a win on the bump last week. The Angels pitching and defense have been very underwhelming as they allow the 25th most runs per game in the league.
The Angels will turn to left-hander Andrew Heaney for the series opener. Heany is 4-4 with a 4.45 ERA and 75 strikeouts through his first 12 starts of the season. The Angels southpaw has been inconsistent this season and failed to build off of two strong starts in his previous outing. Heaney allowed three runs over five innings of work in a loss to the Oakland A’s on Tuesday.
Final Giants-Angels Prediction & Pick
This series will certainly feature a ton of offense as both clubs have been absolutely raking lately. These clubs have combined to score more than 700 runs this season and have only shown signs of improvement lately. The Angels play much better at home and the Giants don’t care where they play at this point. They combine to score almost 10 runs per game and hit over’s on a regular basis. The Giants have hit the over in five of their last six and the Angels have hit it in nine of their last 10 to date.
FINAL PICK: Over 8.5 Runs (-120)