Angels vs. Mariners Pick
Are the Los Angeles Angels going to defeat the host Seattle Mariners Saturday night? First pitch is at 9:10PM EST.
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Mariners are a -116 favorite to win on the moneyline. The Angels are a -104 underdog and the over-under is 9.
MLB Quick Links: Scores & Matchups | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Betting Trends | ATS Stats
On the mound for the Angels will be Andrew Heaney (1-1, 6.98 ERA), while the Mariners counter with Andrew Albers (3-1, 3.43). Heaney has a 1.55 WHIP with 24 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings of work. He allowed five earned runs on six hits with five strikeouts and four walks in 3 1/3 innings his last start, a 7-6 loss at the Rangers. Albers has a 1.38 WHIP with 16 strikeouts over 21 innings. He allowed one earned run on one hits with five strikeouts and one walk over six innings in a 10-2 home win over the Athletics his last start.
Los Angeles is 72-69 overall and 34-38 on the road, while Seattle is 70-71 and 38-35 at home. The two teams have split the last 10 meetings 5-5 and the over-under is 5-4-1.
On Friday night, the Mariners claimed a 4-3 victory as Mike Leake allowed three runs (two earned) over six innings to get the win. Ben Gamel paced the offense as he was 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Nelson Cruz was 2-for-3 with a run and a walk. Mitch Haniger finished 2-for-4 with an RBI. Mike Zunino was 2-for-4 and scored a run. Edwin Diaz notched his 32nd save. Justin Upton was 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs for the Angels. Brandon Phillips went 2-for-4 and scored a run. Albert Pujols was 2-for-4 and drove in a run. Ricky Nolasco gave up four earned runs in 3 2/3 innings to take the loss.
Albers has been pitching well in a small sample size, but his peripherals and prior history in MLB make him feel like a candidate for regression. The Angels lineup has been more potent since the additions of Phillips and Upton, which will make like difficult on Albers. Heaney is clearly not all the way back to full strength after returning from Tommy John surgery, but the strikeout rate is solid and he’s shown in the past he has a ton of potential. We’re going to side with the Angels here.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: LOS ANGELES ANGELS -104