Angels vs. Phillies Odds
| Angels Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -176 | 9 -118 / -104 | +120 |
| Phillies Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +146 | 9 -118 / -104 | -142 |
The first installment of this three-game series gets underway Monday evening as the NL East's Philadelphia Phillies host the AL West's Los Angeles Angels.
These two clubs enter this series in opposite form, with Los Angeles losing five of its past seven games and Philadelphia winning five of its past six. Will the Phillies continue their winning ways, or can the Angels pull off the upset on the road?
Here's a look at the odds and my Angels vs. Phillies betting pick and prediction.
Los Angeles Angels
It's been yet another disappointing campaign for the Angels, who are going to miss the playoffs despite rostering two of the best players in baseball.
The hitting hasn't been terrible, but it hasn't been great, either, as Los Angeles ranks near the middle of the league in runs scored per game, hits per game and batting average.
With that said, this lineup's biggest weakness is avoiding the strikeout.
Entering this matchup, the Angels rank 25th in K% when facing right-handed pitching.
Looking at Monday's projected starting lineup, seven of the nine hitters possess a K% north of 23% this season. That is a troubling statistic, and these strikeout woes are likely to continue against right-hander Taijuan Walker.
Philadelphia Phillies
While Walker endured some turbulence at the beginning of 2023, he has been a reliable arm on the mound throughout the second half of the campaign. Over his past 13 starts, the right-hander is 9-2 with a 2.84 ERA and 1.17 WHIP.
Walker recorded five or more strikeouts in eight of those 13 outings, which is where we're going to back him in this contest. Currently, you can find his strikeout prop at 4.5 at DraftKings.
This strikeout success is likely to continue against Los Angeles, a team that Walker has recorded at least five strikeouts against in five of his eight career starts. With his terrific play over the past couple of months and previous strikeout success against the Angels, it is worth laying the juice on his Over at 5.5 strikeouts.
Angels vs. Phillies
Betting Pick & Prediction
Looking at this matchup from Los Angeles' perspective, the strikeout numbers are troubling.
Through 46 career plate appearances against Walker, the Angels' lineup possesses a fade-worthy 30.4 K% and 29.4 Whiff%.
The biggest concern here is that Walker's underlying metrics suggest that this second-half dominance is unsustainable as he ranks in the 47th percentile or lower in Hard-Hit%, xERA/xwOBA, xBA and xSLG.
With that said, I am doubtful that this regression is going to come to fruition against this average Los Angeles lineup, especially considering it possesses a .159 BA, .318 SLG and .222 wOBA through those aforementioned 46 plate appearances.
Pick: Taijuan Walker Over 4.5 Strikeouts (-140 | Play up to -150)
