The Battle for LA continues Saturday night with the middle contest of a three-game series at Dodger Stadium, so we’ve prepared the best Angels vs. Dodgers betting pick along with the latest odds update for this interleague showdown.

The Dodgers are listed as strong -230 home favorites on MyBookie Sportsbook, while the Angels are +208 dogs with a total of 8.5 runs. Back in May, these two foes met in a three-game set at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, and the Angels won it 2-1, upsetting the reigning champs as +155 and +168 underdogs.

The Angels keep fighting without their best player

The Los Angeles Angels are still without Mike Trout, who’s been sidelined with a calf injury since May 17. Trout has targeted late July for his return, but it seems like the three-time AL MVP will miss another month.

The Halos continue their playoff push, entering the Dodgers series with a 55-54 record (the opening contest has been excluded from the analysis). They’ve just beat the hapless Texas Rangers in a four-game set in Arlington, 3-1, but the Angels are still six games behind the bottom wild card in the American League.

Since the All-Star break, the Angels have struggled at the plate, posting the second-worst OPS in the majors (.670). At least, their pitching has improved a lot. The Angels own a 4.67 ERA in 2021, but over the last three weeks, they’ve registered a solid 3.63 ERA.

Jaime Barria will take the mound Saturday, and the 25-year-old righty is 2-0 with a 4.12 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in a couple of starts and relief appearances this season. Last time out, Barria tossed 6.2 scoreless innings in a 1-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics, allowing four hits and a walk and striking out three.

The Dodgers emerged victorious on Max Scherzer’s debut

The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Houston Astros 7-5 this past Wednesday to improve to 65-44 on the season, while Max Scherzer fanned ten on his LA debut to grab his ninth victory in 2021. The reigning champs were still trailing four games behind the Giants on Friday but held the top wild card in the National League.

Julio Urias will get the starting call Saturday, and the 24-year-old lefty has been a true ace for the Dodgers this season. Urias is 13-3 in 22 starts and sports a 3.40 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 139/25 K/BB ratio across 129.2 innings of work.

In his previous six starts, Urias has yielded more than one earned run just once. The southpaw tossed five scoreless innings last time out, getting a win in a 13-0 thrashing off the Arizona Diamondbacks. 

Trends:

LA Angels:

  • 2-7 in the last nine games against the Dodgers

LA Dodgers:

  • 6-3 in the last nine games against the AL West
  • 5-2 in Julio Urias’ last seven starts 

Los Angeles Angels vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Pick

The Dodgers’ offense hasn’t been at its best lately, posting a .760 OPS since the All-Star break, but their pitching staff should dominate the struggling Angels. Julio Urias has been outstanding over the last two months, so I’m backing the Dodgers to win, although the odds are not attractive.

Urias met the Halos in May and got pounded for five earned runs on eight hits across five innings of work. This time, Urias should be much better, especially because the Angels are without Mike Trout, Anthony Randon, and Jared Walsh.

Pick: Take Los Angeles Dodgers at -230

The Total:

The Angels’ pitching has been excellent as of late, but I’m not sure if their form is sustainable. Over the last two weeks, the Angels bullpen has registered the ninth-lowest ERA in the majors (3.07), so I have to take the under here.

Jaime Barria will have a tall task against the Dodgers, but he’s looked sharp over his last two starts. On the other side, I’m expecting Julio Urias to get revenge for a tough loss in May and dominate the Angels’ bats. The Dodgers bullpen has recorded a 3.83 ERA over the previous two weeks (15th in the MLB).

Pick: Go under 8.5 runs at -105