San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Angels Pick – 4/20/2025

San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Angels Betting Preview

As the Los Angeles Angels prepare to host the San Francisco Giants on April 20, 2025, at Angel Stadium, both teams have been performing at different levels this season. The Angels, with a record of 10-10, are sitting in the middle of the pack, while the Giants boast an impressive 14-7 record, showcasing their strong start. In their previous matchup, the Giants emerged victorious against the Angels, adding to the stakes of this Interleague series.

Pitching will play a crucial role in this game, as the Angels project Yusei Kikuchi, who is still searching for his first win this season with an 0-3 record and a respectable ERA of 4.13. Meanwhile, the Giants’ Justin Verlander, a seasoned right-hander, has struggled with a 0-1 record and a troubling ERA of 6.75, although advanced metrics suggest he’s faced some bad luck this year.

Kikuchi has shown a decent strikeout rate of 6.4 strikeouts per game, but his tendency to allow a high number of hits (4.9 on average) and walks (1.7) could present opportunities for the Giants’ offense, ranked 14th overall. The Giants feature a powerful lineup that ranks 10th in MLB for home runs, which could capitalize on Verlander's flyball tendencies, while the Angels’ offense ranks 4th in home runs and has the potential to do damage if Kikuchi can limit base runners.

Betting markets are currently showing a balanced perspective, with both teams currently set at -110 on the moneyline, indicating expectations for a closely contested matchup. Given the Giants' stronger overall performance and the projections indicating a rebound for Verlander, they could emerge as the favorites in this critical game.

Quick Takes San Francisco Giants:

Out of all starting pitchers, Justin Verlander's fastball spin rate of 2446 rpm ranks in the 87th percentile this year.

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

Wilmer Flores has seen a big increase in his exit velocity this season; just compare his 85.5-mph average to last year's 83.5-mph average.

• Hitting the ball hard increases the chances of either a home run or the ball landing in fair territory for a hit before a fielder can get to it.

When estimating his overall offensive ability, Matt Chapman ranks in the 96th percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X).

• THE BAT X is a highly sophisticated projection system that accounts for a multitude of factors and regularly tests among the most accurate systems available.

Quick Takes Los Angeles Angels:

Compared to league average, Yusei Kikuchi has been given more leash than the average pitcher since the start of last season, throwing an extra 4.0 adjusted pitches each game.

• Pitchers with a longer leash are more likely to go deeper into games and record more outs.

Extreme groundball bats like Mike Trout tend to be less successful against extreme groundball pitchers like Justin Verlander.

• 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 Los Angeles Angels have 5 batters in their projected lineup today with a high (i.e. over 27%) underlying K% (via the leading projection system, THE BAT X) (Mike Trout, Jorge Soler, Logan O'Hoppe, Kyren Paris, Jo Adell).

• Teams that have multiple high-strikeout hitters will make it much easier for the opposing pitcher to record strikeouts

Game Trends

• The Los Angeles Angels have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Moneyline in 6 of their last 16 games (+0.55 Units / 3% ROI)
• Kyren Paris has hit the Singles Under in 7 of his last 8 games at home (+5.50 Units / 37% ROI)

San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Angels Prediction

Predicted Final Score: San Francisco Giants 4.92, Los Angeles Angels 4.65

• Date: April 20, 2025
• Venue: Angel Stadium
• Starting Pitchers:
  • Justin Verlander - Giants
  • Yusei Kikuchi - Angels

For more on today's game check out the comprehensive statistics, betting odds, and trends below. Be sure to check out all our free MLB picks here.