Athletics vs Angels Picks & Odds (Aug 4)
By John Perrotto in MLB Baseball
Published:
- The Angels are -120 home favorites over the Athletics on Thursday
- Paul Blackburn (6-6, 4.15) will pitch for Oakland against rookie Janson Junk (1-0, 0.00)
- A look at the Athletics vs Angels odds and matchup can be found below with a prediction
The Oakland Athletics visit the Los Angeles Angels at 4:07 p.m. ET Thursday in the decisive game of their three-game series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim.
The Athletics (40-66, 23-33 road) ended a three-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory on Wednesday night. The Angels (44-60, 24-31 home) have lost four of their last six games.
Athletics vs Angels Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland Athletics | +100 | +1.5 (-200) | Over 8 (-120) |
| Los Angeles Angels | -120 | -1.5 (+170) | Under 8 (-100) |
Odds as of August 3rd at Caesars Sportsbook.
The Angels are -120 favorites for an implied win probability of 54.55%. Both teams have very long World Series odds with the Angels listed at +80000 and the Athletics at +200000.
It should be a beautiful day in Orange County with sunny skies, an expected high temperature of 83 degrees, and southwest wind at 5 mph.
Athletics vs Angels Probable Pitchers
Paul Blackburn (6-6, 4.15) is scheduled to start for the Athletics against rookie Janson Junk (1-0, 0.00). Blackburn will be pitching on four days of rest and Junk on seven.
Blackburn vs Junk
| 6-6 | Record | 1-0 |
| 4.15 | ERA | 0.00 |
| 3.80 | xERA | 1.19 |
| 1.25 | WHIP | 1.00 |
| 2.97 | SO/W | 9.00 |
Blackburn has struggled lately, going 0-4 with an 8.05 ERA in his last seven starts.
However, Blackburn pitched five shutout innings against the White Sox last Saturday in a no-decision at Chicago. He gave up four hits, did not walk a batter and struck out four.
Paul Blackburn, Nasty 80mph Slider. 😨 pic.twitter.com/SRfGEmJHV2
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 31, 2022
Blackburn is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in three career starts against the Angels. In two outings at Angels Stadium, he has a 1-0 record and 1.59 ERA.
On the road this season, Blackburn has been dazzling, going 5-1 with a 1.74 ERA in 12 starts. He is 3-3 with a 4.25 ERA in nine starts during the day. The Athletics are 9-11 in Blackburn’s 20 starts.
Junk will be making his second start and third appearance of the season for the Angels.
He tossed five scoreless innings to beat the Royals in his last start July 27 at Kansas City. The Royals got four hits off Junk, who had eight strikeouts and one walk.
This will be Junk’s first-ever appearance against the Athletics.
Janson Junk, 7th and 8th Ks.
And backwards K strut. pic.twitter.com/7XwRk7FR7E
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 27, 2022
He has pitched once at home and in the day this season, working one scoreless inning May 28 against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Angels are 1-1 when Junk pitches.
Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers
| Angels Batters | Batting Average vs Paul Blackburn |
|---|---|
| Shohei Ohtani | .400 |
| Taylor Ward | .333 |
| Andrew Velazquez | .250 |
| Luis Rengifo | .200 |
| Jared Walsh | .000 |
| Max Stassi | .000 |
The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani is 2 for 5 against Blackburn with a double. Ohtani’s +350 AL MVP odds are second to the -380 of the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge.
Athletics vs Angels Betting Outlook
Sean Murphy homered and drove in all three of his team’s runs to lead the Athletics to victory Wednesday night. The home run was a two-run shot in the sixth inning that broke a 1-1 tie.
🚨 MURPH TOOK OHTANI DEEP 🚨 pic.twitter.com/Glz9vcbSG5
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) August 4, 2022
Vimael Machin went 2 for 2 for Oakland.
Luis Rengifo doubled in Angels’ lone run and two hits. Magneuris Sierra also had a two-hit game.
Mickey Moniak started in center field for the Angels a day after being acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies. The rookie went 0 for 2.
North County native Mickey Moniak on joining the Angels and likely playing a lot: “The one thing I (want) is an opportunity, and to be so close to home with family and friends, it's just the cherry on top. My family's fired up. All my friends, grandparents, aunts, uncles.” pic.twitter.com/JuPpnvdP3A
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) August 3, 2022
The Angels are 6-3 against the Athletics this season, including 3-2 at home. The Athletics held a commanding 34-14 advantage in the series over a three-year span from 2019-21.
Athletics vs Angels Last 10 Games
| Date | Home Team | Away Team | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/3/22 | Angels | Athletics | OAK, 3-1 |
| 8/2/22 | Angels | Athletics | LAA, 3-1 |
| 5/22/22 | Angels | Athletics | LAA, 4-1 |
| 5/21/22 | Angels | Athletics | LAA, 5-3 |
| 5/20/22 | Angels | Athletics | OAK, 4-2 |
| 5/15/22 | Athletics | Angels | LAA, 4-1 |
| 5/14/22 (2) | Athletics | Angels | LAA, 9-1 |
| 5/14/22 (1) | Athletics | Angels | OAK, 4-3 |
| 5/13/22 | Athletics | Angels | LAA, 2-0 |
| 9/19/21 | Angels | Athletics | OAK, 3-2 |
Athletics vs Angels Prediction
Though Blackburn hasn’t won in a while, he has been very good on the road this season and is facing a lineup weakened by Mike Trout being on the injured list. Let’s lean toward the Athletics.
Pick: Athletics ML (+100)
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Sports Writer
John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
