Real baseball sports betting gets underway after the All-Star break on Thursday night, and the focus is on the AL West, where the division-leading Angels will head to Oakland for a four-game set with the Athletics. The Angels have been pummeled by injuries this year, and their starter on Thursday is a sign of that.

 

Angels Athletics Odds – Thursday, July 16, 10:05 PM ET


Ervin Santana (1-5, 7.81) started the year on the disabled list with an elbow injury, and things definitely haven’t gotten better for the 26-year-old righthander, who gave up five runs on seven hits in four innings of an 8-1 loss at home to Texas, and this was his third straight loss. But maybe a game against the Athletics is the thing he needs to spark his season, as Santana is 9-1 in 14 games (13 starts) against Oakland with a sparkling 1.36 ERA.

 

Dallas Braden (7-7, 3.13) won his second consecutive start as the Athletics whipped Tampa Bay 7-2 on the road, allowing a pair of runs on five hits over six innings. Braden should have more wins than he does as he is seventh in the AL in ERA, but that’s how it goes when your team is 25th in runs scored. Braden has faced the Angels four times in his career, including a pair of starts, and he has a 1-2 mark with a 3.21 ERA. Both of those losses have come this year, but against a struggling Santana and at home, Braden could be worth a look in your offshore sportsbook.