Shohei Ohtani is the most exciting player to watch and bet on in baseball. Full stop. Don’t come at me with any other takes. I don’t want to hear it.
The two-way star will be on the mound when the Los Angeles Angels host the Cleveland Indians but will Ohtani have to do all the work himself for an Angels team that is quickly plummeting back down to Earth?
Check out our MLB free picks and predictions for Indians vs. Angels on Wednesday, May 19, with first pitch scheduled for 8:07 p.m. ET.
Indians vs Angels game info
• Location: Angel Stadium, Anaheim, CA
• Date: Wednesday, May 19, 2021
• Time: 8:07 p.m. ET
• TV: BSW, BSGL
Angels vs Indians odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
Compare MLB odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
MLB Sharp Money and Line Movement Report
By Patrick EversonThe Angels opened as -130 favorites at TwinSpires Sportsbook and are down a few cents to -124 as of 4:30 p.m. ET. Ticket count is nearly 4/1 and money 3/1 on the underdog Indians. The total rose from 7.5 to 8, with ticket count 4/1 and money just shy of 2/1 on the Over.
Check out the full line movement for this gameIndians vs Angels betting preview
Starting pitchers
Aaron Civale (5-1, 3.40 ERA): Civale has cooled off a bit after a hot start. The right-hander has a 4.33 ERA with opponents hitting .265 off him over his last four starts, and is coming off his worst start of the season, surrendering five runs on seven hits in 6 2-3 innings against a weak-hitting Mariners team.
Shohei Ohtani (1-0, 2.10 ERA): “Ohtani is stupid talented,” is probably the best way to describe him. The right-hander can hit 100 on the gun and has a devastating splitter he uses as a put-away pitch and as a result is striking out 14 batters per nine innings. Simply put, he looks unhittable at times. That said, even he can’t control his stuff at times and can get in trouble, as he surrenders seven walks per nine innings
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Indians: Cam Hill RP (Out).
Angels: David Fletcher 2B (Questionable), Mike Trout CF (Out), Chris Rodriguez RP (Out), Junior Guerra RP (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 5-0-1 in Civale's last six starts as a road underdog and 3-1 in Ohtani's last four starts overall. Find more MLB betting trends for Indians vs. Angels.
Moneyline pick
Unfortunately, the Angels having Ohtani just means baseball fans can now say, “the Angels wasted another season of Mike Trout AND Shohei Ohtani.” Because outside of Ohtani, the Halos’ pitching staff has been terrible.
Luckily, Ohtani is on the bump tonight, and on top of the strikeout stats, a number that really stands out for Ohtani is that he is allowing opponents to hit just .126 off him this season. That doesn’t bode well for a Cleveland lineup that has been better in May, but is still one of the worst in the big leagues, ranking 23rd in batting average and 26th in OPS when it comes to hitting off right-handers.
We're also hoping Ohtani pulls double duty and hits tonight as well because, frankly, the Angels need him with Trout out. Ohtani and L.A. hit for a decent average and should be able to take advantage of Civale, who is not pitching as well of late.
Obviously, there is risk in backing the Angels because Ohtani will likely stop pitching at some point, but we’re willing to pay to back them at this price.
PREDICTION: Angels (-125)
Over/Under pick
When it comes to the total, the early money has come in on the Over, but that has created an opportunity to jump on the other side.
Ohtani detractors (do those exist?) could point to his walks as a potential area for concern, but the fact that his opponent batting average is so low somewhat negates that. Not to mention, he can strike out the side at any time.
And even though Cleveland has done a better job of cashing in runs lately, they still rank 23rd in scoring, going against a starter who has allowed one earned run or fewer in four of his five starts.
On the other side, while Civale hasn’t had his best stuff lately, that doesn’t mean he has been bad. The right-hander still has a respectable 3.40 ERA and a good 1.06 WHIP with four quality starts this season. He then hands the ball to one of the best bullpens in the MLB, making this game a good bet to go Under.
PREDICTION: Under 8 (-110)
Indians vs Angels betting card
- Angels (-125)
- Under 8 (-110)
Picks made on 5/19/2021 at 12:40 p.m. ET
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