Ohtani and Angels favored over bumbling Royals

When: Friday, April 21 at 9:38 PM ET
Who: Royals at Angels
Starting Pitchers: Taylor Clarke and Shohei Ohtani
Where: Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California

The Angels will be returning home after an exciting series with the New York Yankees. Ace pitcher Shohei Ohtani takes the mound for the Angels, while the Royals will be sending out Taylor Clarke.

Before continuing, we must advise you to check out our MLB Betting Guide, which will help you prepare for any MLB props you may be interested in.

Game Preview

The Angels were tested in their series with the Yankees, but unfortunately, they lost two of the three games losing the series. The Royals are looking to get back into the win column after losing 6 straight games.

Ohtani has been excellent this season for the Angels, posting a 2-0 record with a stupendous 0.86 ERA along with 27 strikeouts. Ohtani's been able to have his way with hitters, but his last start against the Red Sox was cut short due to weather issues at Fenway.

He was still performing well in his start against the Red Sox, striking out 3 in 2 innings.

Shohei Ohtani's Ridiculous Sweepers (up to 20" of horizontal break) 😲 pic.twitter.com/BndlZU27gs

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 17, 2023

The Royals will be sending out Taylor Clarke in this game, he's posted a 1-0 record this season.

However, he is mainly used as a setup pitcher as he's only pitched 8 innings this season with 12 strikeouts. The Royals are willing to try anything to change the losing streak they're suffering.

From the #Royals: Taylor Clarke will start Friday’s game in Anaheim, as an opener for Ryan Yarbrough.

— Anne Rogers (@anne__rogers) April 20, 2023

Money Line

The Angels being priced as -270 favorites means they are pretty certain the Angels will win.

Money Line
Royals	+225	+241	+235
Angels	-280	-270	-285

I don't disagree with the oddsmakers, the Royals are struggling to score runs and win games facing off against one of the best pitchers in baseball.

It makes sense why the Angels are such huge favorites and if you would like to back them I'd have to advise against it because it's not a good price.

However, if you were wanting to get bold and wager on the Royals, they're priced at +241, which is tempting.

Although, I wouldn't recommend betting on either of these teams on the money line. I don't like the odds for either team and will be exploring some other betting opportunities.

Angels To win game

-270

Bet Now!

Pitching Props

Shohei Ohtani's the best player in baseball right now. His improvement as a pitcher is truly remarkable. He's started 4 games and only allowed 2 earned runs to pair with an outrageous 11.6K/9.

Strikeouts
Ohtani O 7.5	-105	-105	-110
Ohtani U 7.5	-115	-115	-110

Betting on Ohtani's strikeouts is always fun because he's one of the most exciting players to root for.

Shohei Ohtani, Frisbee Sweeper with 20 inches of break. 😯 pic.twitter.com/eXo25paYaJ

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 12, 2023

The Royals' inept offense is one of the worst teams in the league at generating runs. Even worse is they struggle to get on base and strike out an average of 9 times a game.

Ohtani is bad a matchup for them and I think he dominates them.

I would recommend betting over 7.5 strikeouts for Shohei Ohtani in this game.

Shohei Ohtani Over 7.5 Strikeouts

-105

Bet Now!

We want to ensure you make the most of the best sign-up bonuses and current promotions. Taking advantage of these bonuses can significantly increase your bankroll allowing you to bet with house money!

Total Runs

You would think the total would be low with a dominant pitcher like Ohtani on the mound. The Royals struggling offense leads one to think the total would be much lower in this game than 8.5 runs.

Total Runs
Over 8.5 Runs	-110	-110	-110
Under 8.5 Runs	-110	-110	-110

Taking a closer look at this total I don't see how the teams score more than 8 runs even considering the bullpens. Ohtani should pitch 7 or so innings and should not allow many runs.

The Angels offense could score a ton of runs to exceed the total, but I feel like this game is going to be 6-2.

I would recommend betting under 8.5 runs in this game.

Royals and Angels Under 8.5 Runs

-110

Bet Now!

Best Bet

There is no way I'm not going to take advantage of betting on Shohei Ohtani. This game is perfectly set up to showcase his phenomenal pitching ability.

The best bet in this game is the over on Shohei Ohtani strikeouts.

Shohei Ohtani Over 7.5 Strikeouts

-105

Bet Now!

Make sure to check our top sportsbook reviews for the best odds on your favorite MLB prop bets before placing your bets.