In this AL West matchup, the Athletics (40-95, 21-45 home) play host to the Angels (64-71, 32-38 away) at Oakland Coliseum. Taking the mound for the Athletics is Paul Blackburn, while the Angels will go with Griffin Canning. Check out my pick for two of this Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels matchup.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS VS OAKLAND ATHLETICS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Los Angeles Angels -130

This game will be played at Oakland Coliseum at 4:07 ET on Saturday, September 2nd.

WHY BET THE LOS ANGELES ANGELS:

  • The Angels will be taking on a Athletics club that is just 2-3 over their last five games.
  • Looking at the Angels’ last five games as the underdog, they are just 2-3.
  • Over his last three starts, Griffin Canning has an ERA of just 2.69.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

Currently, the Angels are 4th in the AL West on an overall record of 64-71. Their season-long runline record is 62-73, which includes going 35-35 vs. the runline on the road. For the season, Los Angeles has won less than half of their series away from home (7-13). The Angels’ over/under record this season comes in at 69-63.

Los Angeles Angels pitcher Griffin Canning has had a successful season thus far, boasting an overall record of 7-4 and an ERA of 4.38. His ERA on the road is slightly higher at 4.97, while his home ERA stands at 5.01. Canning’s WHIP for the season is 1.23, with opposing teams having a batting average against him of .241 and a slugging percentage of .427.

Canning has been solid for the Angels this season, posting a 3.86 ERA in 11 starts.

Griffin Canning put forth a quality performance in his most recent start, going seven frames and allowing just one run. Unfortunately, the Angels were unable to come away with the win, dropping a 3-2 decision to the Mets.

The Angels have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 12 home runs over their last ten games. Compared to other clubs, this is 9th best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 3rd in home runs and 7th in slugging percentage. Overall, Los Angeles is averaging 4.7 runs per game (12th).

Luis Rengifo has been a bright spot in the Angels’ lineup, as he has led the team in hits over their last five games, batting an impressive .463. On the season, Rengifo is hitting .257 and has contributed 46 RBIs.

WILL THE OAKLAND ATHLETICS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

135 games into the season, the Athletics have a record of 40-95, putting them 5th in the AL West. This mark includes an overall series 10-30-2. At home, they are 21-45 compared to 19-50 on the road.

The Athletics will look to Paul Blackburn to take the mound, boasting a 3-4 record over 16 appearances. His ERA stands at 3.93, with a K/9 of 9.14 and FIP of 3.44, while his OBP is .332.

Paul Blackburn’s most recent start ended in a 6-1 loss to the White Sox, yet the Athletics’ pitcher still put forth a quality performance. He allowed four runs over six innings of work.

This season, the Athletics are 30th in the league at 3.6 runs per game. Over their last five games, they have a combined batting average of .224 (16th) leading to 3.4 runs per contest. Overall, they are generating 3.2 walks per game compared to 9 strikeouts. Oakland’s on-base percentage of .301 has them 22nd in the MLB.

Ryan Noda has been a key contributor to Oakland’s offense this season, boasting a .238 batting average and .421 slugging percentage. In the team’s last ten games, Noda has been on fire, leading the Athletics in hits with a .256 average.