- What: MLB Regular Season Game
- When: Thursday, July 4
- Who: Los Angeles Angels vs. Oakland Athletics
- Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
- Where: Oakland Coliseum (Oakland, CA)
The Los Angeles Angels are set for an exciting Fourth of July showdown as they travel up the coast to face the Oakland Athletics. Below, we provide our Angels-Athletics pick for this game.
Los Angeles Angels
The Angels are poised to take advantage of a vulnerable pitcher in JP Sears, who has an ERA over 5.00. In June, Sears had a tough time, posting a 7.94 ERA and allowing 33 hits in 22.2 innings over five starts.
This presents a golden opportunity for the Angels to make their mark.
This presents the Angels with a golden opportunity to exploit Sears’s struggles and put runs on the board.
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????: @AngelsRadioKLAA#RepTheHalo x @FBMSupply pic.twitter.com/7o2jxdjPYd— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) July 4, 2024
The Angels had a commendable June, going 15-11 with an OPS of .691. If they can maintain their strong hitting, victory should be within their grasp.
Roansy Contreras is slated to be the opener for the Angels, and his last outing was against the Athletics, where he shut them down for three innings. Likely, he’ll not last three or four innings this time.
Oakland Athletics
The Athletics have the third-worst batting average, ninth-worst slugging percentage, and the highest whiff percentage in the league, allowing Los Angeles to stifle their offense again.
The fate of the Athletics largely depends on Sears’s performance. While Sears had a sub-4.00 ERA in April and May, a single poor start in June significantly dented his record.
If Sears can recapture his earlier form, the Athletics stand a chance of victory.
92 pitches of excellence ????️ pic.twitter.com/BjawGY9rxd
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) July 4, 2024
However, the Angels are batting under .240 this season and have an on-base percentage in the bottom 10 of MLB. They’ve scored the 11th-fewest runs.
Despite their offensive struggles, the Athletics must capitalize on these weaknesses and rely on their bullpen, including Mason Miller and Lucas Erceg, to secure a lead.
Angels-A’s Best Bet
The Angels have already emerged victorious against the Athletics multiple times this season.
Given Sears’s current form and Contreras’s success against Oakland, I predict the Angels will win this game comfortably, further solidifying their dominance over the Athletics.
I’ll take the Angels to win on the moneyline Thursday night.
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