The Los Angeles rivalry is underway as the Angels and Dodgers continue their second series of the season.
The Angels swept the first series in May and won the first game of this series on Monday. Nonetheless, the Dodgers are still favored -170 on the moneyline, while the Angels are +139 on DraftKings Sportsbook. The game total is set at over/under 10 runs.
Here’s my prediction and pick for Tuesday’s Dodgers vs. Angels matchup.
Dodgers vs. Angels prediction
Emmet Sheehan is on the mound for the Dodgers tonight. He made his season debut in June and has only consistently been on the field starting in July. His starts are relatively short — no more than five innings — but he’s been effective in his time.
The 25-year-old allowed five earned runs once in his seven outings. The other six were two of fewer earned runs allowed. He’s not the team’s ace, but he typically pieces together a quality performance to give the Dodgers a chance at victory.
The Dodgers’ offense will be the story of this game. It’s one of the best units in the majors with Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman at the top of the order.
The Angels are sending Víctor Mederos to the mound. The 24-year-old has pitched 12.1 innings across three seasons with the club and has not started a game.
This is a new scenario for Mederos, even if he only is used as an opener. He’ll have to get through Ohtani, Betts and Freeman to start the game, which is often troublesome for even the best pitchers.
Of course, the saving grace could be the Angels’ offense. If it can out-perform the Dodgers again, the Angels could win.
Dodgers vs. Angels pick, best bet
It’s fun to root for the underdog, especially in a rivalry matchup like this, but it’s unlikely the Angels can win another game against the NL West leaders.
DraftKings Sportsbook reflects this belief, so taking Dodgers moneyline on its own isn’t very profitable. Instead, the Dodgers run line at -1.5 (-113) is my pick. It gives bettors more value in a game that the Dodgers should perform well in.