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Angles vs Athletics Prediction and Odds for Saturday, May 14 (Oakland Undervalued at Home)

By Reed Wallach

May 9, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Paul Blackburn (58) pitches
May 9, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Paul Blackburn (58) pitches / Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
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The Oakland Athletics may be in the midst of a rebuild, but the team has stayed out of the basement of the MLB standings in a loaded AL West.

The team has outperformed their preseason win total to date, and will look to take out an emerging contender in the Los Angeles Angels. Oakland will have their best pitcher in 2022, Paul Blackburn, toeing the slab, but he will have his hands full with the likes of Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani stepping to the dish.

Let's see where the value lies on Saturday afternoon with odds courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook:

Angels vs. Athletics Odds, Run Line, Total

Run Line:

  • Angels: +1.5 (-210)
  • Athletics: -1.5 (+175)

Moneyline:

  • Angels: +120
  • Athletics: +110

Total: 7.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Angels vs. Athletics Prediction and Pick

Blackburn has been one of the most underrated pitchers in all of baseball, posting a 4-0 record with a 1.74 ERA through 6 starts. This number is justified, posting a 2.15 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) meaning that this is a true indication of his ERA, not bailed out by his teammates in the field. While the Angels are a dangerous offensive team, the top team in baseball in terms of slugging percentage, but Blackburn has held up this season.

I believe the A's can do it again with Blackburn, mainly because he has been able to figure out his command on the mound. He is walking less than 1 batter per 9 innings this season and get his strikeout rate up to nearly 8 per 9 innings.

The Angels offense is dangerous, but the pitching staff still has questions. Second year pro Jhonathan Diaz is set to start on Saturday in an opener role, but may be in trouble against an Oakland team that hits lefties well. Diaz has little big league experience (just over 16 innings across the last 2 seasons) while the A's are 17th in batting average against left handed pitching, which Diaz is. LAA has a middling pen that can hold up, but I think Blackburn's excellence as a starter this season warrants a bet on Oakland.

LEAN: Athletics ML

You can find all of Reed's bets HERE!

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