Los Angeles Angels @ New York Yankees - June 16, 2025

Ah, the thrill of the MLB grind! We’re diving into a matchup that’s got my heart racing and my betting instincts tingling. The Los Angeles Angels are trudging into Yankee Stadium with their heads down, looking to snap a three-game losing streak against the New York Yankees. It’s not just any game; it’s a chance for redemption—or continued despair.

Let’s break this down like I always do: on one side, you’ve got the Angels. They’ve been struggling lately—losing 11-2 to the Orioles in their last outing is no feather in your cap. Their current record stands at 33-37, and they’re 1-4 against the spread in their last five games. But here’s where I get a tad superstitious—sometimes teams hit rock bottom before bouncing back unexpectedly. You never know when that spark might ignite!

Now, let’s talk pitchers. For LA, we have José Soriano, who comes in with a 4-5 record and an ERA of around 4.8. His strikeout numbers are decent but he’s also prone to giving up runs—something that could be his downfall tonight against a potent Yankees lineup.

Across the diamond is Clarke Schmidt for New York—3-3 with an ERA hovering around 3.8 and impressive strikeout stats himself at about 9 per game. Here’s where it gets interesting: while Schmidt has had his ups and downs too, he pitches well enough to limit scoring chances when he’s on his game.

The oddsmakers opened up with New York as -200 favorites, which isn’t surprising given how they’ve performed at home (10 wins out of their last 14 at Yankee Stadium). However, don’t let those numbers fool you entirely; they lost their previous game against Boston 2-0 and have dropped three straight as well.

Offensively speaking, there’s no contest here—the Yankees are putting up about 5.4 runs per game compared to LA’s paltry average of just over 4 runs per game. With a batting average of .251 compared to the Angels’ .221, it’s clear who has the edge at the plate.

So what can we expect? Judging from everything laid out before us—the struggles both teams face combined with solid pitching performances expected from Schmidt—I’m leaning toward a Yankees victory here tonight.

But what about totals? Considering both offenses have shown signs of life lately (the Angels’ last few games have seen more than enough runs), I think we’ll see this one go OVER the total set at 8.5 runs comfortably.

In summary: My gut says take the Yankees straight up—they’ve got home-field advantage and better offensive firepower even if they’re coming off some tough losses themselves. And sprinkle some cash on that OVER; it feels right tonight! Let’s hope for some fireworks!