The Los Angeles Angels will attempt to sweep the three-game series as they finish their set with the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday at Rogers’ Centre. It’s time to go north of the border and look at our MLB odds series with an Angels-Blue Jays prediction and pick.
The Angels blanked the Blue Jays 2-0 on Saturday and are in a rare position to sweep a likely playoff-bound team. There was no scoring for the first five-plus innings until Luis Rengifo singled to left-center to drive in a run, making it 1-0 after six. Then, the Angels scored their other run in the ninth when Andrew Velasquez clubbed a solo shot to right field. It was his second home run in many days, giving the Angels some insurance.
Shohei Ohtani pitched masterfully, tossing seven shutout innings while allowing just two hits while fanning nine. Additionally, he did not let a single runner get to third. Alek Manoah was excellent on his end, throwing seven innings while allowing one earned run on four hits with eight strikeouts.
Today, Tucker Davidson takes the mound for the Angels. Davidson is 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA in three August starts since coming over to the Halos in the trade with the Atlanta Braves. He went five innings in his last outing, allowing two earned runs on six hits. Consequently, Davidson has not gone over six innings in any of his starts. He has also allowed a home run in each start and has walked nine batters in three games.
Ross Stripling is the man on the mound for the Jays. Stripling is 6-3 with a 2.84 ERA this year. Recently, he pitched six innings while allowing one earned run and six strikeouts. Stripling has enjoyed August, going 1-0 with an 0.73 ERA over two starts. Also, he faced the Angels twice this season in relief, compiling a 4.50 ERA over two games and notching a save.
Here are the Angels-Blue Jays MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Angels-Blue Jays Odds
Los Angeles Angels: +1.5 (-104)
Toronto Blue Jays: -1.5 (-115)
Over: 9 (-110)
Under: 9 (-110)
Why The Angels Could Cover The Spread
Everyone knows about Ohtani and Mike Trout. However, the Angels never win ballgames unless the rest of their team does something. It has been the case all season, which is a significant indicator of their struggle. Likewise, Trout and Ohtani need help; when it comes, it helps the Halos win ballgames.
Velasquez has struggled all season. Thus, he is batting a pathetic .201 with eight home runs, 26 RBIs, and 35 runs over 112 games. But he has enjoyed August, as his numbers are at .320 (16 for 50) with three home runs, four RBIs, and 10 runs over 23 games. Subsequently, his performance against Toronto has raised his stats against the Jays to .259 (7 for 27) with two home runs, four RBIs, and four runs over six games.
Rengifo has quietly had a productive season against Toronto. He is batting .296 (8 for 27) with three RBIs and four runs over six games. Rengifo is batting .222 (2 for 9), but both hits have brought runners across the plate.
The Angels will cover the spread if Davidson passes the sixth inning. Moreover, the Halos need to see if this young buck can throw a quality start and keep the tough hitters in the Toronto lineup down. The Angels have shut out the Jays two games in a row, and the odds of doing it a third time are slim. Velasquez and Rengifo must help power the supporting cast in the lineup and give Davidson run support. Two runs will do it for Ohtani, but the Halos need more today.
Why The Blue Jays Could Cover The Spread
What is wrong with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and why can he not hit the baseball in this series? Guerrero is 2 for 9 in this series, and his struggles have contributed to the lack of runs by the Jays. Conversely, his season numbers do not reflect that. Guerrero is batting .282 with 26 home runs, 78 RBIs, and 71 runs this year. Also, he is batting .280 with five home runs, 15 RBIs, and 12 runs over 23 games in August.
Bo Bichette is 1 for 7 in this series. Also, he is batting .261 with three home runs, 11 RBIs, and 10 runs over 22 games in August. Most will remember Bichette crushing the Angels in May. Likewise, Toronto needs that from him again.
The Jays will cover the spread if Stripling pitches well and the offense comes to play. Likewise, they need to keep the rhythm going and avoid bad situations.
Final Angels-Blue Jays Prediction & Pick
The Blue Jays are too good not to score again. Thus, expect Toronto to finally unleash some offense on the Angels and get that lineup hitting. The Jays take this one handily, avoiding the sweep.
Final Angels-Blue Jays Prediction & Pick: Toronto Blue Jays: -1.5 (-115)
