The second-half of the MLB regular season kicks off on Friday and the Angels will come out of the All-Star break with a six-game NL East road trip. It all starts with a three-game set in Philadelphia to square-off with the division-leading Phillies.
While it would be obvious to say that this contest means more for a playoff-bound Philadelphia squad, I’d actually argue that Los Angeles is the team to take note of. The Angels are sitting four games out of a Wild Card spot in the American League, but a losing streak in the next two weeks could convince the organization to be a seller at this year’s trade deadline. The coming 12 days are massive for the fate of Los Angeles’ season.
Let’s preview this interleague matchup with the help of some odds and lines on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Angels vs. Phillies prediction, preview
It’s going to be one of those games for the Angels. With the demotion of Jack Kochanowicz to the minors prior to the All-Star break, Los Angeles currently has an open spot in its rotation and a nine-man bullpen. As such, the team will turn to Ryan Zeferjahn to open this evening’s tilt — the first time in 2025 that the Angels have used a starting pitcher aside from the group of five they broke Spring Training with. The hard-throwing 27-year-old has been shaky this season, possessing a 5.66 ERA thanks primarily to conceding 2.06 opponent home runs per nine and a massive 13.8% walk rate. Zeferjahn will likely operate as a true opener, as he’s exceeded one inning of work in just two of his 40 appearances. Expect to see a whole lot of Carson Fulmer in this one, too.
This should be a difficult matchup for a bullpen game, with the Phillies having performed much, much better in their home park in 2025. While Philadelphia has mustered only a 93 wRC+ on the road this season, the club owns a 117 wRC+ at Citizens Bank Park.
Speaking of drastic splits, let’s discuss the Angels’ lineup. Despite being mostly comprised of right-handed power hitters, Los Angeles has struggled immensely with southpaws in 2025. To wit, the team slashes just .222/.267/.399 against LHPs with an 81 wRC+. By contrast, the Angels sport a league-average 100 wRC+ when facing-off with a right-hander. Unfortunately for Los Angeles on Friday, Jesus Luzardo is a lefty. He’s also nasty. Even with an odd two-start run where Luzardo was tipping his pitches and surrendered 20 earned runs in only 5.2 innings, the 27-year-old comes into this start with a 2.68 FIP that ranks behind just Paul Skenes and Logan Webb among qualified NL pitchers. Luzardo’s 27.3% strikeout rate is also tied for the 13th-highest mark in the league.
Angels vs. Phillies pick, best bet
Best Bet: Jesus Luzardo 8+ Strikeouts (+150)
Luzardo sports 81st percentile marks in strikeout rate and whiff rate. Meanwhile, the Angels lead the league in strikeout rate versus LHPs (28.2%).
