LA Angels vs Boston Red Sox: Preview & Prediction
By Sascha Paruk in MLB Baseball
Published:
Looking for a playoff baseball atmosphere in the middle of an unseasonably chilly spring? Look no further than Anaheim, where Japanese sensation Shohei Otani is taking the mound for the 13-3 Angels tonight (April 17, 10:07 PM) against Cy Young-winner David Price and the MLB-leading Boston Red Sox.
Will Ohtani continue the dream start to his big-league career or will the juggernaut Bo-Sox dish out a dose of reality? Below, find the opening odds, key statistics and betting trends, weather forecast, and score prediction.
Opening Odds
| MONEYLINE | RUNLINE | O/U RUNS |
|---|---|---|
| RED SOX (+153) | RED SOX +1.5 (-145) | OVER 8.0 (-105) |
| ANGELS (-163) | ANGELS -1.5 (+125) | UNDER 8.0 (-115) |
Shohei Ohtani has been almost immaculate in his first two MLB starts, going 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA, 0.46 WHIP, and 18 strikeouts over 13 innings. He sat down 19 straight last time out against Oakland in a 6-1 LA win.
David Price was perfect through his first two starts, holding Tampa Bay to zero runs in 14 innings of work. But that scoreless streak came to a crashing halt last week when the Yankees, a team that’s always given Price issues, touched him up for four earned runs in just one inning before he had to exit with a hand injury.
All indications are that the injury will not be an issue tonight.
Team Stats
| ANGELS | STATISTIC | RED SOX |
|---|---|---|
| 13-3 (4-2 Home) | RECORD | 13-2 (5-1 Away) |
| +48 | RUN DIFFERENTIAL | +42 |
| Shohei Ohtani: 2-0, 2.08 ERA, 0.46 WHIP | PROBABLE STARTER | David Price: 1-1, 2.40 ERA, 1.00 WHIP |
| .231 BA, .689 OPS (in 147 at-bats) | LINEUP VS OPPONENT STARTER | N/A |
| 2.45 ERA (6th in MLB) | BULLPEN ERA | 4.19 ERA (21ST in MLB) |
| .825 (1st in MLB) | TEAM OPS | .795 (2nd in MLB) |
| 4-2 (2-1 Home) | 2017 HEAD-TO-HEAD | 2-4 (1-2 Away) |
Betting Results & Trends
| ANGELS | TREND | RED SOX |
|---|---|---|
| Won 7 | WIN/LOSS STREAK | Won 4 |
| 5-0 | LAST 5 | 4-1 |
| 12-4 | RUNLINE RECORD | 8-7 |
| 9-7 | OVER/UNDER SPLIT | 8-6-1 |
| Over 1 | OVER/UNDER STREAK | Under 1 |
The Angels are coming off of two straight sweeps, albeit of bottom-feeding clubs Texas and Kansas City. Their high-powered offense did just enough on Sunday, eding the Royals 5-3 in a snowy Kansas City.
The Red Sox piled up 10 hits yesterday against Baltimore but only managed three runs. That was enough, though, as a combination of Chris Sale and three relievers held the Orioles to just three hits and one run.
Weather Forecast at Opening Pitch
| TEMPERATURE | 66° |
| HUMIDITY | 30% |
| WIND SPEED | W 7 MPH (out to right field) |
| P.O.P. | 0% |
Score Prediction
| RED SOX | 5 |
| ANGELS | 3 |
There is no denying that Ohtani has been lights out so far and that his stuff is truly elite. His splitter touches 90 MPH and verges on unhittable. But this is not going to last all season, and the safer bet is that, with a couple games’ worth of regular-season film to review, the Red Sox will have a better approach to Ohtani than the first two lineups he faced.
[The moneyline] is being inflated by the hype surrounding Ohtani.
Meanwhile, Price looked like his vintage self in his first two starts before predictably crumbling against the Yankees (while battling through a hand injury). If he’s truly back to 100%, which the team says he is, there is definite value on the Red Sox at +153. That line is being inflated by the hype surrounding Ohtani.
Managing Editor
Sascha has been working in the sports-betting industry since 2014, and quickly paired his strong writing skills with a burgeoning knowledge of probability and statistics. He holds an undergraduate degree in linguistics and a Juris Doctor from the University of British Columbia.
