The Reds (64-61, 33-27 away) travel to take on the Angels (61-64, 32-30 home) in game one of this interleague matchup. Graham Ashcraft is getting the start for the Reds while Lucas Giolito is starting for the Angels. See who I like to pick up the win in today’s Cincinnati Reds vs. Los Angeles Angels showdown at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

CINCINNATI REDS VS LOS ANGELES ANGELS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Los Angeles Angels -1.5 Runs

This game will be played at Angel Stadium of Anaheim at 9:38 ET on Tuesday, August 22nd.

WHY BET THE LOS ANGELES ANGELS:

  • The Angels are 3-2 against the runline in their five most recent games as the favorite.
  • Over their previous ten games as the underdog, the Reds are just 4-6 vs. the runline.
  • The Reds are just 0-3 in Graham Ashcraft’s last three starts.

CINCINNATI REDS TRYING TO CLOSE GAP IN NL CENTRAL

This season, the Reds have played a total of 39 series and are above .500 at 18-16-5. On the road, Cincinnati is 33-27 and 31-34 at home. Their overall record of 64-61 has the Reds sitting 3rd in the NL Central.

Graham Ashcraft has made 23 appearances in the 2023 season, boasting a .420 slugging percentage allowed and a 1.40 WHIP. His overall record stands at 6-8 with an ERA of 4.89, having accumulated 90 strikeouts and averaging 6.38 K/9 innings. When playing away from home, Ashcraft’s record is 3-1 with an ERA of 3.97; however, his home record is 3-7 with an ERA of 8.61.

The Cincinnati Reds are hoping for another strong performance from Graham Ashcraft, who had a quality start in his last outing. Despite the right-hander going seven innings and giving up just three runs, the Guardians still managed to take the game 3-0.

This season, the Reds are 10th in the league at 4.8 runs per game. Over their last ten games, they have a combined batting average of .230 (20th) leading to 3.7 runs per contest. Overall, they are generating 3.4 walks per game compared to 9 strikeouts. Cincinnati’s on-base percentage of .326 has them 7th in the MLB.

The Reds have seen Matt McLain’s bat come alive over the last ten games, as he leads the team with one home run. His season-long total now stands at 13, and his overall batting average is .296.

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

On a record of 61-64, the Angels come into today’s game 4th in the AL West. When playing at home, they are 32-30 and 29-34 on the road. Los Angeles has played in 39 series thus far, and have gone 17-20-2.

Lucas Giolito has strung together two consecutive starts of at least six innings and holds a 7-9 record through 25 appearances. His ERA stands at 4.44, with a WHIP of 1.27, and he has tallied 150 strikeouts to 51 walks for a K/BB ratio of 3.0. Opponents are slugging .445 against him, with a batting average of .236 this season.

Lucas Giolito’s last outing ended in a 7-3 loss to the Rangers, with the Angels’ starter lasting six innings and surrendering seven hits and four earned runs.

As a team, Los Angeles has scuffled at the plate of late, with a combined batting average of just .189 over their last ten games. Compared to other teams, this is just 30th in that span. When looking at the team’s power numbers, they have a season-long slugging percentage of .436% while going deep a total of 184 times (3rd). Overall, the Angels are 9th in the MLB at 4.8 runs per contest.

Shohei Ohtani has been one of the Angels’ most reliable hitters in 2023. He holds a .306 batting average and has driven in 89 runs, while also hitting 43 home runs.