After losing the first two games of this Freeway Series at Chavez Ravine the Angels took Wednesday night’s game at the Big A by a score of 4-3, getting a quality start from Jered Weaver, fresh off the DL, and three RBI from Mark Trumbo.
Dodgers vs Angels betting odds preview, prediction, injury update
The Battle of Los Angeles has highlighted interleague baseball betting this week. The experts at Odds Shark like the Angels to beat the Dodgers Thursday.
Stephen Dunn
The Angels won Wednesday as -180 favorites and the game stayed UNDER its total of 8.5.
So the Anaheimers will shoot for a split of this four-game, two-city series when the team meet Thursday night (10 pm ET).
Thursday’s Angels-Dodgers Betting Odds
As of Thursday AM most baseball betting outlets were listing the Angels with Jason Vargas at around -165 over the Dodgers and Ted Lilly, with the total proffered at 8.5.
Thursday’s Pitching Match-Up
Lefty Vargas (4-3, 3.43) is six-for-10 on quality starts this season, and running on a streak of three in a row. Last time out he held the Royals to two runs through 7 1/3 innings, and over his last three starts he’s allowed just four ER over 21 1/3 innings.
On the season Vargas has given up 67 hits in 65 2/3 innings, walked 24 and whiffed 42. The Angels are 6-4 in Vargas’ starts, including 5-0 over his last five.
Last year, pitching for Seattle, Vargas started once against the Dodgers and got clipped for five runs and nine hits in six innings of an 8-3 Mariners loss in June.
Fellow lefty Lilly (0-1, 4.05) missed the first three weeks of this season after off-season shoulder surgery, made two starts, then went back on the DL with sore ribs. He then came off the DL to start last Saturday against St. Louis and looked good, giving up one ER and two hits through 5 1/3 innings of a 5-3 Dodger victory.
For the season Lilly has allowed 16 hits through 13 1/3 innings, walked five and struck out 12. LA has lost two of his three starts.
This will be Lilly’s first start against the Angels since 2010, when he was a Cub.
Injury Update
LA’s Matt Kemp is listed as questionable for Thursday with a sore hamstring. Then again, he hasn’t been doing much to help the Dodgers with his bat lately anyway.
Our Take on Thursday’s Game
Vargas has been solid lately, while Lilly is still a bit of a question mark. So we give the Angels the edge in the pitching match-up. And while the Dodgers have been held to three runs or fewer in seven of their last 10 games, the Halos have scored at least five runs in nine of their last 11 games. So we’ll go with Anaheim for our free MLB pick for Thursday.
Pick: Take the Angels at the -155 offered at most online sports betting sites
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