Shohei Ohtani will get the start for the Angels (49-48, 27-22 home) as they host the Pirates (42-54, 19-28 away) at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. The Pirates will give the starting nod to Johan Oviedo. Check out my prediction for game one of this interleague matchup between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Los Angeles Angels.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES VS LOS ANGELES ANGELS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Pittsburgh Pirates +163

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

WHY BET THE PITTSBURGH PIRATES:

  • The Pirates will be taking on a Angels club that is just 4-6 over their last ten games.
  • Over their last ten games as the favorite, the Angels are just 4-6 (straight-up).
  • The Pirates have gone 1-2 in Shohei Ohtani’s last five starts.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

Currently, the Pirates are 5th in the NL Central on an overall record of 42-54. Their season-long runline record is 44-52, which includes going 24-23 vs. the runline on the road. For the season, Pittsburgh has won less than half of their series away from home (4-9). The Pirates’ over/under record this season comes in at 49-43.

Today marks Johan Oviedo’s 20th outing of the season, with an overall record of 3-10. His ERA is 4.53 and opponents have a .315 OBP against him. Oviedo has registered 97 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.36. On the road, his ERA stands at 6.41, while it is 4.79 at home.

Johan Oviedo’s last outing ended in a quality start, but the Pirates still fell to the Giants 3-1. Oviedo went seven innings, surrendering one earned run on one hit, yet he was unable to come away with a win and settled for a no-decision.

The Pirates have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 2 home runs over their last five games. Compared to other clubs, this is 8th best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 24th in home runs and 19th in slugging percentage. Overall, Pittsburgh is averaging 4.1 runs per game (24th).

The Pirates’ offensive leader, Bryan Reynolds, is batting .255 this season. He has a .427 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .323.

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

Winners of three straight games, the Angels are in 3rd place in the AL West. So far, they have a series win percentage of 46% (13-15-2). Los Angeles has gone 22-26 on the road this season compared to 27-22 at home.

Shohei Ohtani is off to a solid start for the Los Angeles Angels, boasting a 7-5 record in 18 appearances. His ERA stands at 3.50, with an impressive 11.88 K/9 figure, while his FIP and OBP are both at 3.97 and .286, respectively.

The Angels were unable to come out on top in Shohei Ohtani’s most recent start, as they fell to the Astros by a score of 7-5. The two-way star went five innings, surrendering four earned runs on five hits.

Having gone deep 11 times in their last five games, the Angels are 1st in that span. At 5 runs per game, Los Angeles is 6th in the league. This figure has come on a team batting average of .256 while hitting a total of 147 home runs (3rd).

Shohei Ohtani has been a major offensive force for the Angels this season, as evidenced by his four home runs over the team’s last ten games. His season-long total of 35 long balls is a testament to his power at the plate, and he currently holds an