Despite not having Mike Trout, the Los Angeles Angels are doing their best to climb out of the early-season hole they dug themselves.
The Angels have won 10 of their last 15 games and now they will go for the three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals as they hand the ball to Griffin Canning. Can the Halos cash as home favorites or is there value with the Royals as underdogs?
Check out our free MLB betting picks and predictions for Royals vs. Angels on Wednesday, June 9, with first pitch scheduled for 9:38 p.m. ET.
Royals vs Angels game info
• Location: Angel Stadium, Anaheim, CA
• Date: Wednesday, June 9, 2021
• Time: 9:38 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN
Royals vs Angels 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 EversonAs of 7 p.m. ET, Los Angeles is all the way out to -159, after opening -125 at TwinSpires. The Halos are drawing 58 percent of moneyline bets and 75 percent of moneyline cash. The total is stable at 9, with the Over getting 62 percent of bets/58 percent of money.
Check out the full line movement for this gameRoyals vs Angels betting preview
Starting pitchers
Brad Keller (6-4, 5.50 ERA): It was a rough start to the season for Keller, not making it out of the second inning in two of his first four starts. But the right-hander has picked it up lately, pitching to a 3.78 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP over his last six starts.
Griffin Canning (4-4, 5.82 ERA): It has been a season of ups and downs to this point for Canning. The right-hander followed up a rough April with a solid showing in May, pitching to a 3.60 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP over five starts that month. But June got off to a rocky start, as he allowed four runs on six hits in just 3 1-3 innings against the light-hitting Mariners.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Royals: Adalberto Mondesi SS (Out), Jesse Hahn RP (Out).
Angels: Mike Trout CF (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Over is 5-0-1 in Royals' last six road games and 4-0 in the Angels' last four games overall. Find more MLB betting trends for Royals vs. Angels.
Moneyline pick
This is a rematch of a game played back on April 14 that saw Keller outduel Canning in an eventual 6-1 Royals win. But a lot has changed since then. The Angels are arguably playing their best baseball of the season when you consider they have gone on this run without Trout.
The Angels have won 10 of their last 15 thanks to a lineup led by two-way star Shohei Ohtani that has plated 5.47 runs per game over that stretch. Now they face Keller, who has pitched much better of late but still has an opponent batting average of .306, and the Halos rank fifth in batting average and ninth in OPS when it comes to hitting off right-handers.
On the other side are the Royals, who have cooled off drastically after a hot start. They come into this game having lost four in a row, scoring a total of nine runs over that stretch. While Canning has had his inconsistencies, his performance in that early-season matchup against the Royals was solid, with two runs allowed on six hits.
With these teams trending in different directions at the moment, we’re siding with the Angels in this one.
PREDICTION: Angels (-145)
Over/Under pick
When it comes to the total, the first two games of this series have gone Over the number thanks the Angels putting up eight runs in each of those contests, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw the O/U go a perfect 3-0.
We’ve already spoken at length about the hot streak the Angels are on at the dish, and they have plated four or more runs in nine of their last 15 games and should have the opportunity to keep that going against Keller and a mediocre Royals bullpen.
While the Royals are in the midst of a four-game losing streak, they still hit right-handers fairly well, ranking eighth in batting average and 15th in OPS. And if they can’t get anything going against Canning they’ll get a chance to against a Halos bullpen that has been the opposite of heavenly. The Angels’ 'pen ranks 27th in ERA and 24th in WHIP.
This one should sneak Over the number.
PREDICTION: Over 9 (-110)
Royals vs Angels betting card
- Angels (-145)
- Over 9 (-110)
Picks made on 6/09/2021 at 1:00 p.m. ET
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