While the Halos missed the sweep last night, they still come off a strong series win over their division rival, the Mariners , and look to carry that momentum into a game against Minnesota . The Twins are coming off a big 13-inning win over the Yankees , in which Luke Keaschall collected three knocks. Tonight, Angels rookie star Walbert Urea takes the mound against Taj Bradley .
The Twins and Angels open their four-game series tonight, September 17, at 6:38 p.m. PT at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. The game will air locally on Angels Baseball TV, presented by Pechanga Resort Casino, while Minnesota viewers can watch on Twins. TV.
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Twins -1.5 (+150)
Angels +1.5 (-182)
Twins: (-112)
Angels: (-108)
7.5: Over (-108)/Under (-112)
Taj Bradley comes into tonight with solid numbers, a 3.81 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 190 strikeouts across 165.1 innings, culminating in an 11-6 record. Bradley has also handled the Angels well in his career with a 1-0 record, 2.95 ERA, and 17 Ks over 18.1 innings in three starts. His last start against the Halos came back in July when he tossed seven innings of two-run ball. There are some intriguing matchups for the Angels' offense as Mike Trout is 3-for-5 against Bradley and holds a career .285 average against Minnesota, while Neto is just 1-for-9 against Bradley, though that one hit left the park. Josh Lowe also holds a .303 average against Minnesota in his career and homered off Bradley back in that July start. Bradley's strikeout ability poses a great threat against an Angels lineup that has a 25.6% strikeout rate against right-handed pitching.
Walbert Urea has been one of the few bright spots in this disappointing Angels season . He comes into tonight with a 9-10 record, 2.88 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 131 Ks over 137.1 innings as just a 22-year-old rookie. He did struggle in his last start, allowing four runs over six innings against the Nationals, but he allowed just two runs in his previous two starts against Pittsburgh and New York. Tonight is Urea's first appearance against the Twins, so there is no matchup history. This Twins offense has struggled as of late, hitting .199 over their last 10 games, but Luke Keaschall has kept games competitive, hitting .269 with a .788 OPS in this span. Trevor Larnach is another bat to watch as he is hitting .286 in his career against Anaheim.
My favorite bet tonight is under 7.5 total runs at -112. Urea's 2.88 ERA speaks for itself, while Taj Bradley has strong numbers this year and has even better stats against the Angels. As far as player props go, I would take either starting pitcher to go over their strikeout line. I would lean Taj Bradley over 6.5 at -133 since the Angels continue to strike out at an unbelievable rate.
Total Runs Under 7.5 (-112)
Taj Bradley Over 6.5 Strikeouts (-133)
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/angels/onsi as Angels Turn to Urea Against Minnesota: How to Watch, Predictions, Analysis, and Prop Bets .
