Angels vs. Red Sox Prediction and Odds for Wednesday, May 4 (Red Sox Win Pitcher's Duel)
By Joe Summers
The 15-10 Los Angeles Angels have been shutout in three of their last four games, and are desperate for fireworks as they take on the 10-14 Boston Red Sox tonight at 7:10 PM EST.
They'll try to get some offense going against Garrett Whitlock. The 25-year-old has been a dominant reliever and was ushered into the rotation last week after Tanner Houck couldn't travel with the team due to his vaccination status. Whitlock won't go deep, but has been excellent yet again so far in 2022, amassing a 0.54 ERA over 16.2 innings.
Los Angeles will counter with Reid Detmers, who shook off a poor start to the season to give up only three runs over his last two starts. The former first-round pick has struggled early in his career, but may be building the momentum to showcase his stellar talent.
Can the Angels get some runs on the board against Whitlock or will Boston get back-to-back wins to open up the series?
Let's check out the odds from WynnBET Sportsbook to help find some value in this Angels vs Red Sox matchup:
Angels vs Red Sox Odds, Run Line and Total
Run Line:
- Angels +1.5 (-165)
- Red Sox -1.5 (+135)
Moneyline:
- Angels: +123
- Red Sox: -133
Total:
- 8.5 (Over +100/Under -120)
Angels vs Red Sox Prediction and Pick
If Whitlock can harness his ability and start pitching longer into games, look out. He can be hit hard, but otherwise his pitching profile from Baseball Savant is extremely encouraging:
Whitlock was a starter in the minors, so he's capable of taking on greater responsibility. He'll have a good test against an explosive, albeit inconsistent, Angels offense. Los Angeles ranks third in MLB on the season in OPS but have been atrocious the last several games. Getting shut out three times in four days is certainly no recipe for success.
On the other hand, Detmers has looked solid in his last two starts but I think those performances are a façade. He limited the Guardians and Orioles to three total runs over 10 innings but Cleveland and Baltimore are two of the three-worst teams in MLB in OPS against left-handed pitchers. Boston ranks only 23rd, but they're in much better position to get to a pitcher whose profile shouldn't intimidate anyone:
I think there's great value on the Red Sox today to give the Angels their third straight loss, but I'll also be playing the total. The under is a ridiculous 11-2-1 in Boston's last 14 games and 5-1 in Los Angeles' last six, and those trends should continue here. Give me the Red Sox to prevail in a low-scoring battle.
Pick: Red Sox (-133) and Under 8.5 (-120)
Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.