MLB Predictions: Angels vs. Giants

Los Angeles Angels (8-16) vs. San Francisco Giants (9-16), 8/19/20

Time: 9:45 pm ET Wednesday, Aug. 19

Where: Stadium, San Francisco, CA

Listed Pitchers: Patrick Sandoval (0-2, 3.94) vs. Johnny Cueto (1-0, 4.62)

TV: ESPN

Moneyline: Angels +125/Giants -135 (BetOnline – Awesome Live Betting Platform!)

Over/Under: 8.5

After splitting two games in Anaheim, the Angels and Giants now play a pair in San Francisco beginning Wednesday night. More was expected out of the Angels this season, but instead they’re struggling just to stay relevant in the American League playoff picture. Meanwhile, the Giants are doing the same thing over in the National League. How are we playing this game with our free MLB pick?

MLB Betting Odds

Wednesday’s MLB betting odds opened San Francisco and Cueto at around -135 over Los Angeles and Sandoval, with an over/under of 8.5 runs. Both those numbers were holding steady in the early betting action.

Angels vs. Giants Set-Up

Los Angeles took the opener of this series Monday night 7-6, but San Francisco grabbed Tuesday’s game 8-2. The teams then hopped planes for the ride up the coast for this game.

Tuesday’s win snapped a five-game losing skid for the Giants.

With Tuesday’s loss, the Angels are also just 1-5 over their last six games.

At 8-16 overall, Los Angeles trails Baltimore by 4.5 games in the battle for the eighth and final American League playoff spot for this season.

At 9-16 overall, San Francisco trails San Diego by four games in the battle for the eighth National League playoff spot.

These teams last met two seasons ago, when the Giants took two of three games from the Angels down at the Big A. Johnny Cueto picked up the W in one of those games.
Wednesday’s Starting Arms

Cueto is 1/5 on quality starts this season. Last Friday, he held Oakland to two runs and three hits through seven innings, but the Giants bullpen blew up, and San Francisco lost that game 8-7. Just before that he gave up four runs through 5 2/3 innings of a 5-4 Giants victory over the Dodgers.

On the season, Cueto has allowed 13 runs on 19 hits and 11 walks through 25 1/3 innings. San Francisco is 2-3 with him.

This will be Cueto’s first action against the Angels since April of 2018 when he tossed six scoreless frames in a 4-2 Giants win.

Lefty Sandoval is 1/3 on quality starts this season. Last Friday, he gave up five runs – four earned – and six hits through six innings of a 7-4 Angels loss to the Dodgers. But just before that, he held Texas to two runs through six innings, although Los Angeles lost that game 2-0.

Sandoval has allowed seven ER and 14 hits through 16 innings on the season, with four walks and 13 strikeouts. The Angels are only 1-2 with him, but that’s not all his fault.

This will be Sandoval’s first-ever action against San Francisco, which could give him an edge, at least for the first couple of times through the lineup.

Wednesday’s Batting Splits

The Angels are batting .246 against right-handed pitching this season, with a .335 team OBP and a .463 team slugging percentage.

San Francisco is batting .248/.322/.450 against left-handed pitching this season. The Giants have also scored at least six runs four times over their last five games.

The Bullpens

The Angels bullpen owns a 4.64 ERA this season and a 1.39 WHIP.

The Giants pen owns a 6.27 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP while allowing an OPS.

MLB Betting Trends

• The Angels are 3-7 on the road this season.
• The Giants are 3-6 at home this season.
• The Angels are 4-12 against right-handed starters this season.
• The Giants are 4-5 vs. left-handed starters this season.

Totals Report

• Overs are 16-8 in Angels games this season.
• Overs are 14-7 in Giants games this season.
• Overs are 8-1 in games played at Oracle Park this season, but that sounds like a trend due for a correction.
• Overs are a combined 5-1 when Cueto and Sandoval start this season.

Free MLB Pick

Cueto might own the edge in the pitching match-up, and he’s coming off a solid outing, but we’re firm believers in the reversal-of-fortunes theory. And while we’ll also call the splits with the sticks a push, we’ll give Los Angeles the edge in the bullpen comparison. We’llt take the Angels here for our free MLB pick for Wednesday. 

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