Only a few weeks ago, the Los Angeles Angels looked like legitimate American League contenders. However, they are now under .500 and bring an 11-game losing streak into Monday’s home series opener vs. Boston. Yet the Halos are short favorites on the MLB odds.

How to Bet Red Sox at Angels MLB Odds & TV Info

• When: Monday, 9:38 PM ET
• Where: Angel Stadium
• Probable pitchers (away/home): Michael Wacha/Noah Syndergaard
• TV: MLB Extra Innings
• Stream/gameday audio: https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/
• Opening MLB Lines: Angels -125, Red Sox +115 (total 8.5)

Why Bet on Boston?

The Red Sox completed a three-game sweep in Oakland on Sunday with a 5-2 win to get to .500 at 27-27. Boston won despite star DH JD Martinez getting the day off. It was a routine maintenance day off for Martinez, who had started seven consecutive games since May 29. The 34-year-old has been an MVP candidate with a slash line of .353/.415/.543 with 33 runs scored, five home runs and 23 RBI across 195 plate appearances.

It’s the first time the Sox have reached .500 since having a 7-7 record on April 22. The Sox were as many as nine games under .500 on May 11. They have not been above .500 since April 19, when they were 6-5 after a 2-1 win vs. Toronto. The team was without outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. this weekend as he returned to Boston with his wife giving birth. It’s possible that Bradley does return for Monday.

The Red Sox are 8-3 in their last 11 road games beginning May 10 at Atlanta after going 6-10 through their first 16 road games this season. The current 10-game road trip is tied for their longest of the season.

Since the start of 2003, the Sox are 111-132 in the Pacific Time Zone, which includes games at LAA, OAK, SEA, LAD, SD, and SF. Against those same teams at Fenway Park in that same time, they are 152-84.

It’s right-hander Michael Wacha (3-1) on the mound Monday. Wacha allowed an unearned run over 5 2/3 innings last Tuesday in a loss to the Reds.  Wacha allowed three hits and struck out three. He was perfect through four innings, but in the top of the fifth, Joey Votto led off the inning with a double. Then in the top of the sixth, a Rafael Devers throwing error drove in Matt Reynolds. Wacha has now allowed two or fewer runs in seven out of eight starts this year, and he now has a 2.43 ERA and 1.01 WHIP with 27 punchouts over 40.2 innings this season.

Wacha has not issued a walk in his last 2 starts (10.0 IP, 5 SO). He has held left-handed hitters to a .161 AVG/.617 OPS this season. With runners in scoring position, opponents are batting .115 (3-for-26) off him.

Why Bet on LA Angels?

Los Angeles leads the season series 2-1 vs Boston after taking a series at Fenway Park from May 3-5.

The Angels frankly had no right losing Sunday in Philadelphia but they somehow managed to, 9-7, their 11^th straight defeat. Bryson Stott hit a game-winning, three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning after Bryce Harper tied it with a grand slam in the eighth. Philadelphia outscored the Angels 26-9 while sweeping the three-game series. The Angels are the fourth team since 1900 to be 10+ games over .500 and have a losing streak to fall back to .500 or worse, joining 1991 Reds, 1978 A’s and 1970 Cubs.

Angels star Mike Trout went 0 for 3 Sunday and is hitless in his last 26 at-bats, the longest drought of his career. The three-time MVP did walk and score a run for the Angels, whose last win came on May 24. The Halos are on their longest losing streak since an 11-game slide in August 2016.

Breakout star outfielder Taylor Ward landed on the injured list over the weekend with a hamstring strain. Through May 20, he was hitting a stellar .370/.481/.713 for a wRC+ of 242. Since then, however, a couple of injuries have slowed him down. He collided with the outfield wall while making a catch in the club’s game on May 20, causing some pain in his neck and shoulder. He eventually returned to action, but this hamstring issue flared up. Between the two maladies, he’s only been able to make 27 plate appearances over the past two weeks, hitting .167/.259/.333 in that time. Overall, Ward is hitting .333 with 10 home runs and 26 RBIs.

It’s right-hander Noah Syndergaard (4-3) on the mound. He was rocked for five runs while recording just seven outs last Tuesday against the Yankees. Syndergaard retired the leadoff batter in the bottom of the first inning, but then the next five Yankees reached base, highlighted by a Matt Carpenter two-run bomb. It could have been worse had Gleyber Torres not been thrown out trying to stretch his double to a triple. The Yanks tacked on another run in the second and manager Joe Maddon went to his bullpen with one out and one on in the third. Syndergaard managed just one swinging strike on 45 pitches and didn’t notch a strikeout.

Syndergaard has alternated winning and losing decisions in each of last five starts. He is 3-0 with a 1.48 ERA (24.1 IP – 4 ER) at Angel Stadium, compared with a 1-3 record and 7.88 ERA (16 IP – 14 ER) on the road. In three career starts against the Red Sox, he is 1-1 with a 3.05 ERA (20.2 IP – 7 ER) and 12 strikeouts; this season, is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA (7 IP – 3 ER) vs. Boston following start on May 3 at Fenway Park (L; 7 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO).

Game Trends

• Red Sox are 6-2 in their last 8 during game 1 of a series.
• Red Sox are 5-2 in their last 7 games as an underdog.
• Red Sox are 1-4 in their last 5 Monday games.
• Angels are 0-4 in their last 4 games as a home favorite.
• Angels are 0-8 in their last 8 vs. American League East.
• Angels are 0-6 in their last 6 games vs. a right-handed starter.

Expert Prediction

• Angels 5, Red Sox 4

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