Lucas Giolito will get the start for the Angels (61-64, 32-30 home) as they host the Reds (64-61, 33-27 away) at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. The Reds will give the starting nod to Graham Ashcraft. Check out my prediction for game one of this interleague matchup between the Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Angels.

CINCINNATI REDS VS LOS ANGELES ANGELS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Cincinnati Reds +104

This game will be played at Angel Stadium of Anaheim at 9:38 ET on Monday, August 21st.

WHY BET THE CINCINNATI REDS:

  • Coming into the game, the Angels have gone just 4-6 in their last ten home games.
  • As the favorite on the road, the Reds’ win streak currently stands at five games.
  • Opponents are hitting just .192 against Graham Ashcraft in his last two starts.

CINCINNATI REDS LOOK TO CONTINUE WINNING WAYS ON THE ROAD

This season, the Reds have an overall series record of 18-16-5 and are currently 3rd in the NL Central. Cincinnati’s overall record is 64-61, which includes their current two game losing streak. On the road, the Reds are 33-27 and 31-34 at home.

Graham Ashcraft is set to take the mound for the Cincinnati Reds, having gone six or more innings in four consecutive starts. The right-hander has posted a 6-8 record and 4.89 ERA this season, with 90 strikeouts and 48 walks. His WHIP stands at 1.40, while his WOBA allowed is .331.

Graham Ashcraft’s latest start ended in a 3-0 loss for the Reds against the Guardians, but he still put together a quality outing. The right-hander allowed three runs over seven innings of work.

The Reds’ offense comes into today’s game with a collective batting average of .249 and are averaging 4.8 runs per game for the season. Looking at their ten most recent games, Cincinnati has gone deep nine times, which is ranked 11th in that time. To date, the team’s OPS is .740 to go along with an on base percentage of .326.

Matt McLain has been a key contributor to the Cincinnati offense this season, boasting a .296 batting average and slugging .504. During the team’s last ten games, he has been their top hitter with a .250 average and leading the way in hits.

WILL THE LOS ANGELES ANGELS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

The Angels’ record of 61-64 has them ranked 4th in the AL West. So far, they have a below .500 series record of 17-20-2. This season, they have gone 32-30 at home and 29-34 on the road.

Lucas Giolito is set to take the mound for Los Angeles, having pitched six or more innings in back-to-back games. His current season stats include a 4.44 ERA, 7-9 record, 150 strikeouts, 1.27 WHIP and .319 WOBA allowed. He has also issued 51 walks this year.

Lucas Giolito was handed the loss in his most recent start, a 7-3 defeat to the Rangers. Despite lasting six innings, he allowed four runs on seven hits.

So far this season, the Angels’ has gone deep 184 times, placing them 3rd in the league. Over Los Angeles’ previous five games, they are 18th in runs scored, with their season average of 4.8 runs per game putting them 9th in the league. The Angels’ overall team batting average stands at .250 along with an OBP of .323.

Shohei Ohtani has been a force to be reckoned with in the Angels’ last ten games, leading the team with three home runs. His season-long total of 43 homers is impressive, as is his overall batting average of .306.