Angels vs Dodgers Predictions, Picks, Odds: Reid All About It

The second part of a two-game Freeway Series goes down Saturday night between the Los Angeles Angels (45-45) and Los Angeles Dodgers (50-38).

The Boys in Blue grabbed an easy 11-4 victory in Game 1, extending their winning streak over their crosstown rivals to nine games in the process.

Dave Roberts’ side has an uncertain starting pitching situation heading into what will be both teams’ last game before the All-Star Break. What we do know is that the Angels will send out red-hot starting pitcher Reid Detmers. Read on to see which of his props I’m targeting for Game 2’s best bet, as well as my full MLB picks and predictions for Angels vs. Dodgers on Saturday, July 8.

Angels vs Dodgers odds

Angels vs Dodgers predictions

The Halos send lefty Reid Detmers to the mound. He’s been a strikeout machine, notching a whopping 46 strikeouts across his last five starts. For the folks counting at home, that’s good for an average of 9.2 punchouts across that span.

Despite this fact, the books have decided to set the virtuoso of whiff’s strikeout prop at just 5.5 for Saturday’s matchup with the Dodgers. That’s too low, and I’ll be playing the Over. Allow me to explain.

Detmers has terrific swing-and-miss stuff, notching an impressive 13.7% swinging strike rate. He’s used that to his advantage, averaging 11.26 strikeouts per nine innings while posting an absurd 29.8% K-rate.

He’s really figured out how to use his fastball-slider combination to keep hitters guessing despite mostly being a two-pitch guy. He also has a curveball, but uses it only 18% of the time.

We saw spurts of effectiveness last year when he posted a 3.77 ERA and 3.79 FIP, but the youngster has since upped the usage of his slider to devastating results. He threw the slider only 25.5% of the time last year but has since upped that to 37.2%.

It’s proven to be a wise move, as his slider has been worth 6.4 runs above average per FanGraphs. That’s by far the most of any of the pitches in his repertoire, and way better than the changeup that he ditched to make room for more sliders. White Castle really should have a sponsorship deal ready.

He faces a Dodgers lineup that has been prone to the punchout against lefties, posting a 25.8% K-rate since mid-June. That stands in stark contrast to the 21.9% K-rate they’ve posted against right-handers in that same time frame, and I think books have been slow to catch on to these splits.

Give me Detmers to notch at least six Ks on Saturday night.

My best bet: Reid Detmers Over 5.5 strikeouts (-122 at FanDuel)

Angels vs Dodgers same-game parlay

Detmers 6+ Strikeouts (-122)
Under 9 Total Runs (-120)
Angels First 5 Innings (+144)

+459 at FanDuel

This SGP will be a little three-legger with correlation to my best bet on Detmers’ strikeout prop as outlined above.

To add to that, I’ll first add Under 9 for the full game. Detmers has been remarkably effective, surrendering just five combined earned runs across his last five starts. The 24-year-old hurler really figured out his pitch mix and has been fooling batters everywhere. The Dodgers are certainly not left-killers, posting an 84 wRC+ (22nd) and .292 wOBA (23rd) against southpaws since mid-June.

Given Detemers’ projected effectiveness and the Dodgers’ underwhelming performance against lefties, my third and final leg will feature the Angels winning the First 5 innings at +144. The Dodgers have not even named a starting pitcher at the time of this writing but the options appear bleak, so I give the Halos the edge with Detmers on the mound and find a lot of value in this correlated leg.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Angels vs Dodgers moneyline and Over/Under analysis

The books did finally put out odds on this game despite Dave Roberts having yet to announce his starting pitcher. The Boys in Blue range from -137 to -150 on the moneyline, while the best comeback on the Halos is +125. Be sure to shop around using our MLB odds tool before placing your wager to ensure you snare the best price available.

The Angels have a sizable starting pitching advantage in this spot. Although the Dodgers have not named a starter, Michael Grove is the probable candidate and that doesn’t inspire confidence. He’s been rocked to the tune of a 7.02 ERA and 1.61 WHIP across 10 appearances, and usually isn’t trusted to make it more than two turns through the lineup.

That’s not great news for the home team considering their bullpen has been trouble all year long and sports a 4.40 ERA. With that being the case, I consider the Angels an appealing underdog on Saturday.

The total is currently set at 9 at most locations, although 8.5 is also available at select books. Despite the Dodgers’ murky pitching situation I still lean toward the Under with Detmers on the mound and the Halos’ lineup hurting at the dish.

Trend to know

Detmers has gone Over 5.5 strikeouts in each of his last five starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Angels vs. Dodgers

Angels vs Dodgers game info

Starting pitchers

Reid Detmers (2-5, 3.72 ERA): Don’t let the record fool you — this southpaw sure can pitch. He saw his first meaningful Big League action a year ago, posting a robust 3.77 ERA across 25 starts. His results have been even stronger this season, and his 3.88 xERA and 3.29 FIP are both encouraging. Not only does he make batters miss, but he’s also lowered his barrel rate to an effective 5.3%.

Dodgers' starter TBD: Dave Roberts has not announced a starter as of this writing. He has limited options at his disposal given the health status of his rotation, and it’s believed that youngster Michael Grove (0-2, 7.02 ERA) is the likeliest starter. He’s been shelled this year across eight starts and allows far too many base runners (1.61 WHIP).

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