3 Best Bets for Friday's Freeway Series Matchup: Angels at Dodgers (7/7/23)

The annual interleague matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers (49-38) and Los Angeles Angels (45-44) -- commonly referred to as the "Freeway Series" -- is a staple of any summer in Southern California.

With their parks connected by a jagged 30-mile portion of "The 5" (CA Interstate-5), bragging rights are on the line as both teams are locked into their respective divisional races. On Friday night, things will certainly be lively at Chavez Ravine.

The Angels and Dodgers recently played the first leg of the Freeway Series. On June 20th and 21st, they met in Anaheim for two games where the Boys in Blue won both contests by a score of 2-0. Yes, the Angels failed to score a single run against their regional rival.

Notably, superstar Mike Trout will not be playing in this upcoming series against the Dodgers. Trout will be out for approximately two months as he deals with a fractured hamate bone.

Via the MLB odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, here are three wagers to check out for in Friday's Angels-Dodgers clash.

Friday's first pitch: 10:10 p.m. ET. Projected Starters: LAA RHP Griffin Canning (6-3) vs. LAD RHP Tony Gonsolin (4-3).

Dodgers Run Line -1.5 (+110)

After a frustrating month of June, the "Hollywood Swingers" (aka the Dodgers) have begun to play more up to their standards. Los Angeles' National League team is 6-4 in their past 10 games. The Dodgers' run differential is currently at +64, which is tops in the NL West. For comparison, the Angels yield a +21 run differential right now -- not bad but the second-lowest in the AL West.

Being that Friday's tilt will be played at Dodger Stadium, I feel confident enough to play the LAD run line for plus-money. The Dodgers are 27-16 at home, which is the second-best clip in the Majors at the moment.

Against the run line 2023, the Dodgers have played to a 45-42 record. However, in their past 13 home games, the Dodgers have cashed the run line 11 times. Considering Trout will not be in the lineup for the Angels, I like LAD -1.5 in front of a raucous Dodger crowd.

Under 9.0 runs (-115)

The last time I offered up three best bets for the Freeway Series, we were on the under for the run total, and it cashed. Of course, that was a night in which Shohei Ohtani was toeing the rubber.

Still, I am going under 9.0 runs even with Ohtani playing in the field rather than on the mound. I respect the game's starting pitchers in Canning and Gonsolin, as both hurlers boast a lifetime skill-interactive ERA (SIERA) under 4.40.

Even with slight juice, the under seems like the better side. The Dodgers have been impressive on offense as of late, but the Angels have scored more than three runs only once over the past week. With Trout out of the lineup, the under is the side I want to be on.

Additionally, the projections at numberFire have 8.54 as the projected run total for this one. It's close, but that still bodes well for the under.

Freeman to Record 2+ Hits (+210)

Here we have a fun prop bet on a player seemingly in his prime. Currently batting .320 with the NL's second-best OPS of .939, Freddie Freeman is one of the best left-handed hitters in baseball.

Freeman has already collected well over 100 hits (111) before the Midsummer Classic, as he ranks fourth in all of baseball for that category. Still, we need two or more hits from Freeman on Friday to cash this prop at +210 odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Canning and Freeman have never faced each other in an MLB game, but Freeman does hold the natural platoon advantage. Additionally, Freeman has 33 total games this season with two or more hits. He accomplished the feat in each of the last two nights, collecting five total hits over two wins against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

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