The Los Angeles Angels probably have at least a year to go with Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout, but the story being written isn’t great.
Trout is one of the best players we’ve ever seen (here are his MVP places if we exclude his rookie season and last year when he was injured: 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 4, 2, 1, 5), and Ohtani is the reigning AL MVP unlike anyone outside of Babe Ruth in baseball history. It’s remarkable to have them both on the same team.
And the Angels can’t win with two of the biggest superstars the sport can produce.
The Angels are in the midst of another disappointing 37-45 season after sacking manager Joe Maddon after a long run of losses, and they would need a wave to make the playoffs. Maybe Ohtani can stir things up a bit on Wednesday.
Ohtani will pitch against the Miami Marlins on Wednesday and the Angels are -160 favorites at BetMGM†
Ohtani is having another good season on the mound, with a 2.68 ERA, but that didn’t matter much to the Angels. The Angels are 7-6 in his starts. Since the Angels are often favored when he starts, he is a losing pitcher for gamblers. Those who bet $100 on the Angels in all of Ohtani’s starts would lose $142, according to Covers.com† That figure ranks Ohtani 128th among starting pitchers.
The Angels haven’t been a good bet for weeks and they are a firm favorite on the road. One reason to pause betting on the Marlins is that their starter, Trevor Rogers, has been one of the biggest disappointments in MLB this season. But it’s also not comfortable to bet on the great Ohtani, and that’s pretty damning for the Angels organization.
Here’s a first look at Wednesday’s sports betting:
Something other than baseball to bet on?
It’s summer, so not really. There are three WNBA games, but none feature two winning teams against each other. The Chicago Sky are the 2.5 point favorites at the Minnesota Lynx, and that’s your pick if you want some basketball action. There isn’t much else on the plate, as is usual in July.
What other baseball games do we have?
We’ll get four afternoon games. The Minnesota Twins vs. Chicago White Sox is the best game, and the Twins are a tempting -105 favorite. They are 47-37, in first place of the AL Central and still flying under the radar.
Beware of betting on the Toronto Blue Jays as a -185 favorite with the Oakland A’s; Oakland is not good, but Blue Jays starter Jose Berrios is having a difficult season and cannot be trusted.
The Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox face each other again, with the Rays as the +105 underdog. The Rays are usually a pretty good game when given a plus number.
What is the best bet?
Let’s go with the Twins. At some point they will gain a little more respect, but punters know they are having a really good season.