MLB Wednesday best bets: Back Angels in Anaheim
We have a jam-packed day of baseball on the docket Wednesday, with games slated to run from 12:10 p.m. ET through midnight.
Let's take a look at a couple of plays that stand out.
Royals (+130) @ White Sox (-150)
Four of the Royals' last five games have featured at least 10 runs, and there appears to be real potential for fireworks once again.
While the Royals don't have a lineup loaded with firepower, they do have Salvador Perez and some talented kids. They're capable of taking advantage of plus-matchups, which they have against Lance Lynn.
The veteran righty enters this one in poor form, owning a 5.38 FIP and 8.08 ERA over the last month. His biggest struggle has been keeping the ball in the park; he's conceded nearly 2.5 homers per nine innings during this stretch. A hot, humid, and windy day is unlikely to help matters.
The White Sox should also be able to score their fair share of runs. They have mashed right-handed pitching over the last three weeks, posting a .349 wOBA (fifth) and .182 ISO (eighth) during that period.
Brady Singer's numbers look pretty good of late, but the one concern is his hard-hit percentage is a little high. That doesn't bode well for success against an offense that's heating up - especially with the weather conducive to the ball carrying further.
We could see a few homers in this game, which allows for runs to be scored in chunks. There's value in backing the over.
Bet: Over 8.5 (-120)
Athletics (+200) @ Angels (-240)
When the Athletics lose, they generally lose big; nine of their last 10 defeats have come by multiple runs.
I don't like their chances of bucking that trend against Shohei Ohtani and the Angels.
Ohtani is in a league of his own right now. The versatile superstar has posted a 1.89 FIP over the last month while striking out 43.1% of batters. That equates to 15.63 strikeouts per nine innings. Absolute insanity.
Tonight he draws one of the best matchups you could ask for against the Athletics. They rank 23rd in wOBA versus righties since July 1 and have struck out at a higher clip than all but five teams during that stretch.
They have some sneaky power, but Ohtani is extremely good at limiting hard contact, which will help mitigate that threat.
The Angels have gone through their share of struggles at the plate, but they appear to be coming out of it. They rank 15th in wOBA against right-handed pitchers over the last three weeks.
A matchup against James Kaprielian should only help matters. Of the day's projected starters, he owns the fourth-highest hard-hit rate allowed over the last 30 days.
He has struck out batters at a poor clip (14.9%) and posted a FIP (4.34) much higher than his ERA (2.04) during that period.
He seems poised to hit a wall and regress. If that happens, Ohtani is more than capable of seeing a lead through.
Look for the Angels to pick up another multi-run victory.
Bet: Angels -1.5 (-105)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.