Betting Matchup Preview
Game Details
- Who: Pittsburgh Pirates at Los Angeles Angels
- When: Friday, July 21
- Time: 9:38 p.m. ET / 6:38 p.m. PT
- Where: Angel Stadium (Anaheim, California)
Betting Odds Summary
- Moneyline: Pirates +140, Angels -165
- Runline: Pirates +1.5 (-140), Angels -1.5 (+120)
- Total: Over/Under 8 Runs (-120/+100)
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook. Subject to change.
Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani makes his second start following the All-Star break Friday at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates. If Ohtani pitches as he did in his last two starts, the Angels should consider giving him a break from double duty for a week or two.
We have to view Ohtani’s workload as an experiment by the Halos and the MLB. No other pitcher has put himself under the strain Ohtani has while serving as an everyday DH.
The wear and tear on Ohtani’s body could be to blame for his recent struggles on the mound.
Ohtani got off to a hot start with a 4-0 record and 1.85 ERA in his first six starts of the MLB season, but he has been far less dominant in recent appearances. The unicorn is 1-3 in his previous three starts, while the Angels are 1-3 against the spread (ATS) in that span.
With an 8.10 ERA so far in July, Ohtani might be at his limit as a two-way player after 105⅓ innings pitched.
On the bright side, Ohtani’s slump on the mound coincided with a major explosion at the plate in June. July has been less kind, but Ohtani came out of the All-Star break swinging a hot bat with eight hits in his last six games, including two home runs and five RBI.
He also scored at least one run in eight straight. Shotime’s work at the plate led L.A. to a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees as they crept back over .500 (49-48).
While the Angels are struggling in Ohtani’s recent starts, the Pirates are winless since the start of June when Johan Oviedo takes the mound. The righty has “led” Pittsburgh to seven straight losses and an 0-7 record against the spread.
Over his last three starts, Oviedo owns a 6.75 ERA. We are hesitant to trust the Pirates to break out of their slump while he’s on the bump.
The Pirates are a risky bet as it is with a 3-7 ATS record in their last 10 games.
Best Bet: Angels vs. Angels
With betting odds of -165 on the moneyline to win outright, our best bet for Friday’s series opener is on the Angels to topple the Pirates.
Ohtani’s recent struggles on the mound are a worry, but the Angels are playing good ball, and Shotime is tearing it up at the plate.
Oviedo’s recent results are a good indication of what to expect from Pittsburgh’s starter.
Pirates vs. Angels Same-Game Parlay
This wager allows you to combine two or more bets from the same event into a single play. The advantage? The odds for the combined bet are higher than betting all plays separately.
For more information, check out our same-game parlay overview.
Here’s the trio of MLB prop bets we chose for the Pirates vs. Angels:
- Carlos Santana Under 0.5 Hits (+130)
- Shohei Ohtani Over 1.5 Total Bases (+125)
- Connor Joe Over 1.5 Strikeouts (+115)
After combining these three bets into a same-game parlay, the odds jump to +1013. That would be good for a $1,013 profit on a $100 winning bet.
The first leg of our SGP is for Pirates’ first-baseman Carlos Santana to go hitless on Friday. Santana is hitting just .137 this month, with five zero-hit games in his last eight starts.
He also has a .000 average against Ohtani in six at-bats.
Next is Ohtani to stay hot at the plate and go over 1.5 total bases. He has exceeded this total in six straight games and should keep swinging well against a subpar pitcher like Oviedo.
Last but not least is Connor Joe to strike out at least twice against Ohtani and the Angels bullpen. Joe owns the second-most strikeouts on the Pirates, and he has at least one in three of his last four games.
