Angels vs. A’s: Picks, predictions, how to watch Friday’s game

The Los Angeles Angels and Oakland Athletics square off on Friday with first pitch set for 9:40 PM ET. The game takes place at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California, and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. Chase Silseth will take the mound for the Angels against Daulton Jefferies for the A’s.

The Angels (21-12) have fallen out of first place in the American League West as the Houston Astros won 10 consecutive games, and Los Angeles had a three-game winning streak ended their last time out in a 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in 10 innings. Silseth will make his MLB debut and become the first 2021 draft pick to play in the majors. The Angels have an offense that ranks No. 3 in runs per game, led by Mike Trout, who continues to put up monster numbers with a .462 on-base percentage and 9 home runs.

The Athletics (14-19) won three games in a row over the Detroit Tigers coming into Friday. Jefferies has a 1-5 record and 5.22 ERA through six starts this season and has struggled three outings in a row. Oakland does not hit very well as a team, and Sheldon Neuse has been the team’s best hitter with a .291 batting average to this point of the season.

Angels vs. A’s

Pitchers: Chase Silseth vs. Daulton Jefferies
First pitch: 9:40 PM ET
Angels local broadcast: Bally Sports Sun
Athletics local broadcast: NBC Sports California
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)
Moneyline odds: Angels -150, A’s +130

Picks & predictions

Moneyline pick: Angels -150

Yes, we’ll side with the team whose starter is making his major league debut even though it’s impossible to know what to expect from him. Still, this is one of the best offenses going up against one of the worst offenses. In his last three starts, Jefferies allowed 15 runs over 14 innings in his last three starts. That’s a 9.64 ERA, so let’s side with the Angels.

Player prop pick: Daulton Jefferies O3.5 strikeouts (-155)

While the Angels have a fantastic offense so far in 2022, they still strike out at a high rate. Los Angeles strikes out 9.2 times per game, the fourth highest mark in the MLB. Jefferies hasn’t been a big strikeout pitcher so far, but he should get to 4 on Friday night.

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