Kings vs Canucks odds are all the rage in Los Angeles right now as the Kings are making a run at Vancouver, but don't forget about the final game of a four-game series in the American League between Detroit and the Angels, and as of Wednesday, both teams were in second place of their respective divisions.
Tigers vs Angels odds – Thursday, April 22, 10:05 PM ET
Justin Verlander (0-1, 6.88) took a loss in his best outing of the season in a 4-2 loss at Seattle, allowing three runs on seven hits in seven innings of work. Verlander also struck out six and walked one, and after a couple of bad starts to kick off the season, he showed a little bit of why the Tigers rewarded him with a big-money extension in the offseason. The 27-year-old righthander is 1-2 in six starts against the Angels in his career, posting a 4.82 ERA, and Los Angeles is batting .301 off him. Detroit's Stanley Cup odds have probably taken some attention off Verlander's subpar start, but he'll improve over the season.
Joe Saunders (1-2, 4.26) earned his first win of the 2010 campaign in a 6-3 victory in Toronto, allowing two runs (none earned) on five hits over eight innings, striking out two and walking one on 107 pitches. Saunders was slated to be the Angels' ace after John Lackey left for Boston, and this was his first good outing of the season, so it has to be encouraging to Angels fans. Saunders is 1-1 in seven starts against the Tigers, notching a 5.18 ERA, but he's had some problems at home, where he is 0-2 with a 7.36 ERA.
So if the hockey betting fans can tear themselves away from the action on the ice, they'll see that the Angels should be favored in this contest after winning the first two games of the series on Monday and Tuesday. The Tigers have now lost six of their last 10 in Los Angeles against the Angels, but they have Verlander on the mound, and he was unlucky to take the loss in his last start, so look for him to step up on Thursday. Saunders has averaged 16.5 wins over the last two years, but he could be feeling the pressure of being a team's No.1 guy, and we'll see how he handles this. The Tigers have may be trying to avoid a sweep by Thursday as Jered Weaver goes on Wednesday night for the Angels, so they may have a big sense of urgency as no one likes to get swept. We're taking the Detroit Tigers on the road in our sports betting picks.
