The Los Angeles Angels will be home to face the Boston Red Sox on Monday. While the now 27-28 Angels have lost each of their last 11 games, the 27-27 Boston Red Sox enter this series having won four straight. The Angels need to get it together quickly if they want to be in the playoff race. As these teams are trending in opposite directions, the Red Sox have thrust themselves into wildcard contention, and they now have a chance to progress the Angels decline.
"Sunday sweeps." - @ Red Sox
Michael Wacha gets the start for the road team, and he's gone 3-1, with a 2.43 ERA thus far. Wacha hasn't been an above-average starter for a while, but he's turning heads in his first year in Boston. In seven of his eight appearances this season, the veteran righty has allowed two or fewer earned runs. There will be some regression to the mean at some point, but the Red Sox will definitely take these performances at the moment. Wacha is not going to overpower hitters, as he's averaging just 6.0 Ks per nine innings, but he can limit the Angels bats for about five frames, which is about the exact length he averages per start. The LA lineup that he'll be tasked with is averaging just two runs per game in their last six, so Wacha will have a good opportunity to improve upon his already impressive season.
Noah Syndergaard is 4-3 with a 4.02 ERA, and he'll have a chance to stop his club's slide. Syndergaard is coming off of a start against the New York Yankees in which he allowed five runs in 2 1/3 innings. The righty was pitching as well as advertised as a marquee free-agent signing, having a 3.08 ERA prior to his worst start of the season. Currently, the Boston lineup that he will be facing has been hitting very well against right-handed pitchers. When facing righties, the Red Sox rank ninth in OPS and third in wRC. The Red Sox are the fifth highest-scoring team in the MLB, and they should be able to stay hot against Syndergaard, who has a sky-high fly-ball rate, especially over his past four outings.
Los Angeles Angels vs. Boston Red Sox Match Details
Fixture: Boston Red Sox @ Los Angeles Angels
Date & Time: Monday, June 6, 9:38 p.m. EDT
Venue: Angel Stadium, Anaheim, CA
Los Angeles Angels vs. Boston Red Sox Betting Odds
On this losing streak, the Angels have dropped five straight at home, and they're 3-6 overall against Boston in their last nine at home. The total has gone over in six of the Angels last eight and in six of the Red Sox previous seven.
"The Los Angeles Angels were 24-13 exactly 3 weeks ago." - @ Danny Vietti
Also, Boston has scored 27 runs in their past four games, so this one could be high scoring again on Monday.
Los Angeles Angels vs. Boston Red Sox Best Picks
J.D. Martinez is hitting .353 on the season, including a .415 OBP. After a May in which he hit .406 with a .467 OBP, it looks like he's returning to his pre-2020 self. Look for the Red Sox slugger to get on and come around to score Monday.
Pick: J.D. Martinez Over 0.5 Runs Scored (+130)
Los Angeles Angels vs. Boston Red Sox Betting Prediction
Over the past several weeks, the Red Sox have played much better than the home team due to their depth and overall consistency. The Angels have lost 11 straight games and 15 of their last 18. As their pitching staff is allowing runs in droves and their offense is struggling, they are free falling, and after blowing a sizeable lead to the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday, it appears that their confidence is completely shot. Expect the Red Sox to make it 12 in a row Monday night.
Prediction: Boston Red Sox ML (+100) & Over 9 Runs (-120)