Los Angeles Angels vs Athletics Predictions

Pitching favors the Angels, but is the price worth it?

Walbert Ureña's advantage over Jeffrey Springs makes the Angels the likelier winner at SPF's -131 moneyline. ABC7 Los Angeles / Associated Press lists both pitchers as probable: Ureña has a 2.74 ERA and 1.21 WHIP, compared with Springs' 6.18 ERA and 1.47 WHIP. That assessment depends on both making their scheduled starts.

The Athletics have also struggled beyond that individual matchup, posting a 6.88 ERA and allowing 34 more runs than they've scored over their last 10 games. But Los Angeles has hit just .220 during its own 4-6 stretch. The Angels' recent hitting gives little reason to expect them to fully exploit that pitching weakness.

At -131, Los Angeles needs to win roughly 56.7% of the time to break even. Its 26-50 road record doesn't establish the probability for this matchup, but it cautions against treating the starter comparison as sufficient reason to pay that price. The betting call is Pass.

Lawrence Butler offers a specific threat to Ureña: he's 12-for-37 with four home runs over his last 10 games. That power also makes an under bet at SPF's 9.5 total harder to justify solely from the Angels starter's ERA.