#921-922
4:05pm ET / 1:05pm PT
LOS ANGELES ANGELS w/ Heaney @ OAKLAND ATHLETICS w/ Mengden
3*** Play on: OVER THE TOTAL
These two AL West Division rivals went OVER in each of the first two games of this series, and today’s finale ALSO figures to have a lot of runs in it. it sure doesn’t hurt us that Mother Nature will be on our side either. Gametime weather forecasts indicate that the winds will be blowing OUT to Center Field in excess of 10 miles per hour… and they could very well go up to the 15-20 MPH range throughout the contest. The ANGELS and the ATHLETICS are already 7-2 O/U versus each other in the 2018 season, with an average of 11.1 combined runs per game. That includes a perfect 4-0 O/U in the last four played IN Oakland. Both teams are on hot current OVER streaks. Los Angeles is 5-0-1 O/U in their last six games… and Oakland is 5-0 O.U in their last five games. And speaking of HIGH-scoring numbers, we don’t want to miss a chance going OVER based on today’s ‘Man in Blue’ either.
Working behind the dish in today’s Game Three will be MARK CARLSON. He is one of only SIX Major League Baseball UMPIRES that has gone OVER the Total in 75% or more of his games this season (9-3-1 O/U). And amongst all 75 full-the Umpires, Carlson ranks NUMBER ONE in most combine runs per game at 12.3. Only three Umps are averaging 11 or more runs per game for the full season, and Carlson tops the list. He’s also high on the list in most walks per game. His average of 8.4 ‘free passes’ is the 2nd highest in all of Baseball (behind Pat Hoberg’s 8.6). Sharp OU bettors know that more walks means more base runners, which in turn means MORE chances at people crossing the plate (as in runs SCORED). Carlson’s last four games have totaled 14 runs, 17 runs, 13 runs, and 10 runs. We were ON him in his last game (Tuesday), and that Red Sox / Orioles OVER indeed cashed. Carlson has also gone a PERFECT 4-0-1 O/U in his five American League games this season, with a gaudy average of 14.2 runs per game. He’s gone 10-2-3 O/U in his last 15 LA Angels games… and 4-1 O/U In his last five Oakland A’s games. And to top it off, he has gone a PERFECT 4-0 O/U in his last four games on SUNDAYS.
We don’t really need to get deep into the scheduled pitching matchups. Just be aware that BOTH pitchers are in poor current form. Andrew Heaney of the Angels has a respectable 3,68 ERA on the season, but 5.29 in his last three. He’s been good in his nighttime starts (3.22 ERA), but horrific during the day (9.00 ERA). And he’s off his WORST start of the season. He just allowed THREE home runs (and 5 runs total) in only three innings of work vs the Mariners last Monday. On the flip side, Daniel Mengden of the A’s has been a profitable OVEER pitcher this season with a YTD record of 8-4 O/U. Like his counterpart, he has a respectable 3.90 ERA for the season, but 8.10 in his last three starts. Help in a 2-game FREE FALL in which he has pitched eight innings, allowed TWELVE earned runs (12.46 ERA), and an amazing SIX home runs allowed, His lifetime ERA vs the Halos is 13.50!