MLB Betting Picks – Los Angeles Angels at New York Yankees - August 16, 2021
There’s a reason why MLB tries its darndest to get games completed when the weather doesn’t cooperate – it’s to avoid situations like this. The Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees will forego an off day on Monday to complete an earlier series when the final game was postponed. It’s probably a good thing for the Yankees since they were scuffling back then losing two of the first three games of the four-game set. Their play has improved since putting them back in the postseason picture. Following a weekend series with Houston, the Halos make a quick detour to open a 10-game road trip. Gerrit Cole makes his first start in two weeks after a bout with COVID making the Yankees the favorite on the moneyline.
This AL matchup will air live on MLB Network at 7 p.m. ET from Yankee Stadium. Betting options for every game on the 2021 MLB schedule are available at BookMaker.eu.
Los Angeles Angels at New York Yankees
Date and Time: Monday, August 16, 2021, 7 p.m. ET
Location: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Probable Pitchers: Jose Suarez vs. Gerrit Cole
Opening MLB Odds: Los Angeles +203, New York -245, O/U 9
Angels at Yankees TV Coverage: MLB Network
Odds Analysis
Two of the most polarizing figures in the sport wear a Halo, yet the Angels have accomplished little with them on the roster. Wouldn’t it be fun to see a full season of Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout on the field? Ohtani is the front-runner for AL MVP and he’d have a good shot at the award even he wasn’t 7-1 with an ERA under 3.00 on the hill. Shotime leads MLB with 39 homers and will be huge draw in New York on Monday. But the Angels continue to spin their wheels. They avoided a three-game sweep with a win over the Astros on Sunday and they are just 3-6 over their last nine games while averaging less than three runs per game in that span.
The Angels got the better of the series that started back in late June taking two of the three meetings before the fourth was PPD. Ohtani’s much-anticipated pitching debut in the Bronx was a flop, but the Halos kept plugging away to wrestle an 11-8 victory in the third game. Ohtani gave up seven runs and was yanked after getting just two outs. The teams combined for 43 runs cashing the OVER twice in that series.
A second-half surge has the Yankees back in the postseason discussion and they are getting a huge piece back on Monday. They beat the AL Central leading White Sox for a second straight day, 5-3, on Sunday for their 10th series win in the last 11. They are 23-11 in that stretch moving a season-high 13 games over .500. Cole returns from the COVID list to start the opener of an eight-game homestand.
Probable Pitchers
Starting pitching has been a bugaboo for the Angels the last several seasons giving a number of hurlers a chance to earn a spot in the rotation. Jose Suarez (5-5, 3.90 ERA) is one of those guys. Compiling a 1.98 ERA in his first nine appearances in relief, the lefty was given the chance to start. The numbers haven’t been nearly as good. His last six appearances have been starts with Suarez going 2-4 with a 5.79 ERA over 28 innings. He allowed seven hits and four runs last time out, the third time in four starts he conceded four earned runs.
Suarez is a work in progress with the hope of turning him into a dependable starter. He’s not there yet, though. In his last relief appearance Suarez was masterful allowing only two hits and one run in 5.1 innings to get the win over the Yankees.
Getting some of their players back should be a boost for the Yankees, who have played their best ball over the last month with a makeshift rotation. The two weeks off recovering from COVID could be a good thing for Gerrit Cole (10-6, 3.11 ERA), who was roughed up in his last two starts and has a 4.87 ERA over his last seven starts, which includes a three-hit shutout of the Astros.
Cole hasn’t faced the Angels since 2019, but he’s had all kinds of success against them. He’s 5-0 with a 1.99 ERA over his last five starts. Stamina could be an issue and turning the ball over to a pen that’s been shaky will make things interesting. Getting their ace back on the hill will be a boost of confidence for a team playing well, though.
Bet Angels at Yankees at BookMaker.eu
It’s a tough spot for both teams taking a scheduled day off to make up a game. At least the Yankees are home and with Cole on the bump they are a big favorite. The Bombers have picked things up offensively as well and they should get to Suarez at some point. Neither starter is going deep in the game and both teams have bullpen issues, so look for late runs to cash the OVER.
MLB Score Prediction: Yankees 7, Angels 5
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- Phil Simon, Gambling911.com
