JP Sears will get the start for the Athletics (39-95, 20-45 home) as they host the Angels (64-70, 32-37 away) at Oakland Coliseum. The Angels will give the starting nod to Patrick Sandoval. Check out my prediction for game one of this AL West matchup between the Los Angeles Angels and Oakland Athletics.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS VS OAKLAND ATHLETICS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Los Angeles Angels -155

This game will be played at Oakland Coliseum at 9:40 ET on Friday, September 1st.

WHY BET THE LOS ANGELES ANGELS:

  • The Angels will be taking on a Athletics club that is just 1-4 over their last five games.
  • Looking at the Angels’ last five games as the underdog, they are just 2-3.
  • The Angels have gone 0-3 in JP Sears’ last three starts.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

Currently, the Angels are 4th in the AL West on an overall record of 64-70. Their season-long runline record is 62-72, which includes going 35-34 vs. the runline on the road. For the season, Los Angeles has won less than half of their series away from home (7-12). The Angels’ over/under record this season comes in at 68-63.

Patrick Sandoval has made 23 appearances this season, with a .354 slugging percentage allowed and a 1.43 WHIP. His overall record stands at 7-10, with an ERA of 3.95 and 109 strikeouts, averaging 7.98 per nine innings. On the road, Sandoval is 5-5 with an ERA of 4.35; at home he’s 2-5 with an ERA of 4.79.

The Angels are looking to Patrick Sandoval to lead them to another victory, as they emerged victorious the last time he took the mound. In that game, Sandoval allowed just one earned run on two hits over six innings, helping Los Angeles earn a 3-1 win.

This season, the Angels are 12th in the league at 4.8 runs per game. Over their last ten games, they have a combined batting average of .236 (17th) leading to 4.5 runs per contest. Overall, they are generating 3.3 walks per game compared to 9 strikeouts. Los Angeles’ on-base percentage of .323 has them 12th in the MLB.

Luis Rengifo has been a force to be reckoned with in the Angels’ last ten games, leading the team with 3 home runs. His season-long total now stands at 14, while his batting average is .257.

WILL THE OAKLAND ATHLETICS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

The Athletics’ overall record of 39-95 puts them 5th in the AL West. Their straight-up record at home stands at 20-45 compared to a runline mark of 32-33 when playing at Oakland Coliseum. It is worth noting that the Athletics have a series record of just 5-14 at home. Oakland’s over/under record comes in at 71-58.

JP Sears will take the mound for the Athletics with an overall record of 2-11. He has made 26 appearances this season, and his ERA is 4.80. His K/9 rate stands at 8.64, and his FIP is 5.30, with an OBP of .304.

JP Sears was dealt the loss in his most recent start, as the Athletics fell to the White Sox 6-2. The right-hander pitched six innings, but surrendered six runs and nine hits.

The Athletics’ offense comes into today’s game with a collective batting average of .223 and are averaging 3.6 runs per game for the season. Looking at their five most recent games, Oakland has gone deep three times, which is ranked 11th in that time. To date, the team’s OPS is .666 to go along with an on base percentage of .300.

Lawrence Butler has been a bright spot for the Athletics’ offense over their last five games, leading the team with one home run. He has hit two homers in total this season and is batting .237.