Both in tight races in their respective divisions, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels meet in the middle game of a three game interleague rivalry series on Saturday as the Dodgers sit at 57-45 and the Angels at 55-45.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Dodgers have won two more games than the Angels, yet have cost bettors so much more with a total moneyline of -$995, while the Angels check in with a $471 return on investment.
Despite the overall disappointment, the Dodgers host the Angels this weekend and the boys in blue are 34-18 at home while the Halos are a game under on the road at 23-24, though they don’t have to travel far for this one.
After grabbing the division lead heading into the All-Star break, the Angels have surrendered it back to the Astros with poor play of late, dropping five of their last six games.
On the other side, the Dodgers won on Wednesday to snap a three game losing skid.
PITCHING MATCHUP
The Dodgers added a couple pitchers in a trade on Wednesday night, bringing in Mat Latos and Alex Wood. In addition, rumors continue to swirl that L.A. is still in search of a big name starter.
Regardless of what they do at the deadline, Zack Greinke should get Saturday’s start. The NL’s All-Star game starter is currently in the midst of his best season ever.
Greinke had gone 45 2/3 innings without allowing a run before snapping the streak in his last start, but the veteran right-hander still has the league’s best ERA at 1.37 way better than any other pitcher.
In addition, the righty is 9-2 with a 0.831 WHIP, leading the league in both winning percentage and WHIP.
The Angels have a much different pitcher on the mound on Saturday with Andrew Heaney facing off against Greinke.
A very talented starter—as evident by his 1.79 ERA—Heaney is just 24-years old and the southpaw is making just his seventh start of the year. Since his promotion to the big club he’s 5-0 with a 0.868 WHIP in 40 1/3 innings.
Interestingly, in Triple-A this year, the highly touted prospect was 6-2, but had a 4.71 ERA and 1.532 WHIP.
QUOTE TO NOTE
Mike Trout has missed the last two games for the Angels as they have slipped into second place in the AL West. After the game on Wednesday, he spoke about his health, saying:
“They want it to be—and I want it to be—100 percent. I don’t want to have a setback.”
It sounds like they’re being precautions with their reigning MVP, but with offensive concerns in other positions, they need to be sure they’re not too careful.
LIVE/SITUATIONAL BETTING
Left-field has been an absolute black hole for the Angels who are getting historically terrible production. To help, they’ve gone out and acquired three different outfielders including Shane Victorino, David DeJesus and David Murphy.
Over the last 10 games, they’ve averaged 5.9 runs and that’s even with one of those games being a shutout.
On the year, they’re averaging 4.31 runs per game, No.11 in baseball. The team is fortunate to be that high, however, as much of the production comes from two players: Trout and Albert Pujols.
Trout leads the team in OPS at 1.038, home runs with 31 and is tied with Pujols in RBIs with 61. Pujols, meanwhile, is second in the other two categories with a .862 OPS and 30 bombs.
While the Angels are top heavy with two players, the Dodgers boast a lot more individual depth with 10 of their 11 players with the most at bats having an OPS+ of at least 103.
Regardless of the talent and individual production, it hasn’t translated to the amount of runs you would expect. The team is averaging just 4.15 per game though they did put up 10 against Oakland on Wednesday.
PROP TALK
Greinke is a former Angel and is just 1-5 over 10 games played against them as the opposition. He also has a 4.07 ERA and 1.408 WHIP against the Halos.
The righties’ recent dominance overshadows his struggles against the Angels though some Angels’ players’ success against him cannot be ignored. No current Angel has hit a home run against him in his career, though Erick Aybar has five doubles and is 9 for 22 overall while Pujols is 8 for 23 with five doubles of his own.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Angels’ bats are hitting pretty well right now, but Greinke is hard to beat, particularly with your top player dealing with injury concerns. Heaney should keep the Angels close given his record and ERA since his promotion, but his Triple-A numbers are still a bit concerning.
Los Angeles (N) 6, Los Angeles (A) 4
The MLB odds for this game will be available first at BookMaker Sportsbook. Gamble on the game between every half inning with BookMaker’s live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen in the next at-bat or how many runs will be scored in the next inning. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! First pitch for the game between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Los Angeles Dodgers is scheduled for Saturday, August 1, 2015, at 4:05 p.m. ET at Dodger Stadium. The contest will be televised nationally on FS1.
