Is It Too Late for the Los Angeles Angels to Salvage Their Sinking Season?

Less than a month ago, the vibe around the Los Angeles Angels was uplifting and celebratory.

22-year old southpaw Reid Detmers threw the first individual no-hitter of the 2022 season back on May 10 in just his 11th career start for the Halos. At that time, L.A. was 10 games above .500 and in first place in the AL West; two wins ahead of the Houston Astros. When the month of May began, the Angels had a 3.5-game lead over Houston as the Astros scuffled to an 11-11 start to the season.

My how things have changed.

Since Detmers' no-hitter, the Angels have gone 5-18; losers of 14 straight games that's set the franchise record for longest losing streak in Halo history. To make matters worse, they lost Mike Trout a few days ago for the foreseeable future, now out with tightness in his left groin area.

There's still 100-plus games to be played, so no team is mathematically eliminated just yet, but can the Halos salvage this disastrous run and still keep their postseason hopes alive?

Angels Odds to Win the World Series Remain Unchanged During Losing Streak

Despite 14 consecutive losses, the oddsmakers in Vegas don't appear to be concerned with the Angels' recent stretch. Back after Detmers' no-hitter, the Angels moved from +2500 odds to win the World Series at WynnBET, to +1500.

Now, nearly a month later, L.A.'s odds remain the same as they were when they were 10 games above .500.

Are oddsmakers buying the Angels' to snap out of it? Are they protecting themselves from early money already put on the Halos? Or could they even be asleep at the wheel?

If we're using history as a barometer, the Angels have already played their way out of the postseason. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the longest losing streak by an MLB team to still make the playoffs is 11 games; accomplished by the Dodgers in 2017. The key difference there was the Dodgers were 91-37 before they lost 11-straight games in the month of September; still finishing first in their division.

Furthermore, only three teams in baseball history have gone on to lose 11 straight games and make the playoffs. The aforementioned 2017 L.A. Dodgers, as well as the 1982 Atlanta Braves and the 1951 New York Giants; six seasons before they moved west to San Francisco.

Over at Fangraphs, their projections give the Angels a 22.2% chance at a playoff birth, and just 0.7% to win the World Series. Same with Baseball Prospectus and their PECOTA projections.

Based on those projections, their true World Series odds should be +14250; meaning a $100 bet would profit $14,250. Right now, a $100 bet would only pay $2,500 on consensus lines.

The Angels will eventually snap out of it, and perhaps even compete for a playoff spot this year if they don't keep falling further behind in very competitive AL Wild Card race. However, until I see the Halos closer to 125/1 or better, they're a stay-away bet for me.

Follow Ben Heisler's betting plays in real-time on BetStamp HERE