The MLB betting action goes on Tuesday, June 21, 2022, with a 15-game card, including the American League battle from Angel Stadium in Anaheim, so we bring you the best Royals vs. Angels betting pick and odds.
The Royals and Angels lock horns in the second of a three-game series in California. Monday night’s opener has been excluded from the analysis, while the Angels open as firm -170 moneyline favorites for Tuesday’s clash, according to BetOnline Sportsbook.
The Royals hope to finish their west-coast trip on a high note
The Kansas City Royals carried a poor 23-42 record into Monday’s contest at Angel Stadium. The Crowns stopped their three-game winning streak last Sunday, suffering a 4-0 defeat at the Oakland Athletics. At least, they won the series for the first time since mid-May, and the Royals will look to wrap up their nine-game road trip in a strong fashion.
Kansas City continues to struggle at the plate. In the last seven days, the Royals were slashing an abysmal .208/.303/.270 with one home run in 159 at-bats. Their pitching staff has done a good job in the past five games (three against Oakland and two versus San Francisco), posting a 2.30 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and .187 batting average against.
Jonathan Heasley will toe the slab Tuesday in Anaheim. The 25-year-old righty holds a 1-3 record, 3.72 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and 26/20 K/BB ratio in seven starts (36.1 innings) this season. Heasley tossed four innings in a no-decision against the San Francisco Giants last Wednesday, yielding a pair of earned runs on five hits and two walks.
The Angels look to stay on the right track
The Los Angeles Angels blanked the Mariners twice over the weekend, 3-0 and 4-0, to clinch a five-game home series against Seattle. The Halos improved to 33-36 on the season, sitting at the second spot in the AL West, nine and a half games behind the Houston Astros.
Mike Trout continues to swing a hot bat. The three-time AL MVP has a whopping eight home runs in his last ten games and 36 at-bats. However, the Angels were slashing an awful .179/.220/.308 as a team over their last seven contests.
On the pitching side of things, the Halos have registered a sharp 2.51 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and .177 opposing batting average in that seven-game stretch. Reid Detmers will toe the rubber Tuesday, and the 22-year-old left-hander is 2-3 with a 4.25 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 11 starts (53 innings) this season. Detmers was charged for a loss in a 4-1 defeat at the LA Dodgers last Wednesday, giving up four earned runs on four hits and three walks across 3.2 frames of work.
Trends:
Kansas City:
- 1-8 in the last nine road games against the Angels
- 7-13 in the last 20 games overall
LA Angels:
- 14-5 in the last 19 games against Kansas City
- 4-1 in the last five games overall
Kansas City Royals vs. Los Angeles Angels Pick
Reid Detmers threw a no-hitter on May 10, 2022. Since then, the Angels have gone 0-5 in Detmers’ five starts, and the talented lefty has recorded an underwhelming 4.91 ERA and 6.67 FIP. The clash against the Royals seems a nice opportunity for a bounce-back performance, as Kansas City has been awful at the plate lately.
Of course, the Angels will have to improve at the dish, whereas the Royals’ bullpen will have to start regressing at some point. On the other side, the Angels bullpen has compiled a strong 2.50 ERA, 1.59 BB/9, and .223 BABIP in the last ten days and 39.2 frames of work.
Pick: Take Los Angeles Angels at -170
The Total:
The Royals own an 87 OPS+ against the left-handed pitchers in 2022, and I’ve already mentioned their awful recent form a few times. However, it doesn’t mean we’ll see a low-scoring affair Tuesday, though I lean the under because of the Royals’ and Halos’ struggles at the dish.
Simply put, it’s hard to trust the starting duo in this matchup. Heasley has a 5.30 FIP, and Detmers’ FIP sits at 5.15 for the season. Hopefully, they’ll avoid a meltdown against the slumping Royals and Angels lineup.
Pick: Go under 8.5 runs at +105
