Detroit Tigers vs Los Angeles Angels Pick – 5/2/2025

Detroit Tigers vs Los Angeles Angels Betting Preview

On May 2, 2025, the Los Angeles Angels will host the Detroit Tigers at Angel Stadium for the second game of their series. The Angels are struggling this season with a record of 12-18, while the Tigers are enjoying a successful campaign at 20-12. The Tigers are the favorites, bolstered by their elite pitcher, Tarik Skubal, who comes into this matchup with a stellar 2.34 ERA and a ranking as the 2nd best starting pitcher in MLB. Meanwhile, Jose Soriano, projected to start for the Angels, has had a tough go with a 4.50 ERA and a 2-4 record this year.

In their last game, the Angels dropped a close one against the Tigers, highlighting their ongoing struggles. With the Angels ranking 27th in team offense this season, including a dismal 28th in batting average, they face an uphill battle against Skubal. The fact that the Angels do rank 6th in home runs offers a glimmer of hope for a power surge, but the overall inconsistency of their offense may hinder their chances.

The projections indicate a low-scoring affair, with a game total set at 7.5 runs. Soriano's average projected innings of 5.4 and his ability to allow only 2.1 earned runs could prove beneficial, especially considering he may exploit the Tigers' high strikeout rate. However, facing a high-strikeout pitcher like Skubal, who projects to strike out 7.5 batters while allowing just 2.1 earned runs, presents a significant challenge.

Despite the Angels' poor standing in the Power Rankings, their bullpen is rated as the 7th best in MLB, which could play a crucial role late in the game. As the Angels look to turn their season around, they will need to capitalize on their power potential while navigating a tough matchup against the elite pitching of the Tigers.

Quick Takes Detroit Tigers:

Tarik Skubal's 96.6-mph fastball velocity this year ranks in the 98th percentile among all starting pitchers.

• Velocity is a key component to fastball success in generating strikeouts and preventing runs.

Typically, bats like Javier Baez who hit a lot of flyballs usually hit worse when facing pitchers who also induce a lot of flyballs such as Jose Soriano.

• This mostly has to do with the way the hitter's swing plane interacts with the pitch trajectory, and it can create diminished performance across all categories and hidden value few are considering.

The Detroit Tigers bullpen ranks as the 2nd-best in the game, via the leading projection system (THE BAT).

• Most bettors only consider the starting pitcher, but a strong bullpen sneakily creates a tougher matchup for the opposing offense and suppresses a game's runs.

Quick Takes Los Angeles Angels:

Jose Soriano is an extreme groundball pitcher (54.9% GB% via the leading projection system, THE BAT), which should make him somewhat immune to the dangers of pitching in Angel Stadium — the #8 HR venue among all major league stadiums — in this matchup.

• This pitcher's skill set matches up particularly well with the park he's in today, which may lead to better-than-expected performance.

Logan O'Hoppe has made sizeable strides with his Barrel%, bettering his 12% rate last year to 23.5% this year.

• Barrel% measures how often a player hits the ball at the optimal exit velocity and launch angle and is a terrific measure of underlying power.

As forecasted by the leading projection system (THE BAT X), the Los Angeles Angels are expected to tally the least runs (3.35 on average) of all teams on the slate today.

• THE BAT X is a highly sophisticated projection system that accounts for a multitude of factors like player quality, ballpark, weather, umpire, defense, and more.

Game Trends

• The Los Angeles Angels have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total Over in 16 of their last 26 games (+4.59 Units / 14% ROI)
• The Detroit Tigers have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total Over in 21 of their last 31 games (+11.13 Units / 31% ROI)
• Taylor Ward has hit the Runs Under in 11 of his last 15 games (+5.95 Units / 26% ROI)

Detroit Tigers vs Los Angeles Angels Prediction

Predicted Final Score: Detroit Tigers 3.85, Los Angeles Angels 3.35

• Date: May 2, 2025
• Venue: Angel Stadium
• Starting Pitchers:
  • Tarik Skubal - Tigers
  • Jose Soriano - Angels

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