ALCS Betting - Angels will ride Kazmir to tie the series

ALCS betting just got a lot more interesting, didn’t it? After Jeff Mathis’ walkoff double yesterday, the Angels are down 2-1 to the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series. Sportsbook bettors shouldn’t be too surprised by the comeback; the Angels are a great team. But can they pull even tonight?

ALCS betting: Walkoff win, Kazmir give the Angels plenty of confidence tonight C.C. dominant in the playoffs and tough to beat tonight Scott Kazmir has a 2.67 ERA in 14 starts against the Yankees Six of the nine Yankee regulars bat below .200 off Kazmir in their careers

Tonight, 7:57 p.m. ET
Yankees vs Angels odds: Yankees -142, Angels +122
C.C. Sabathia (2-0, 1.23) vs Scott Kazmir (0-0, 7.50)

Going with a three-man rotation as promised, the Yanks hope C.C. Sabathia can put his heavy foot on L.A.’s throat and send New York home up 3-1 in the series. While the Angels historically gave him trouble in the regular season, he quickly showed the difference between playoff baseball and regular-season baseball in Game 1 of this MLB betting matchup. Sabathia was masterful, pitching eight innings of one-run ball and striking out seven. He’s hot enough right now that past statistical splits don’t mean much; the playoff incarnation of C.C. is a safe bet for another stellar effort.

There’s just one problem for the Yankees and its name is Scott Kazmir. Sure, Kazmir’s ALDS performance against the Red Sox left a lot to be desired, but Kazmir is a known Yankee destroyer. In a fairly large sample – 14 career starts – Kazmir has a 2.67 ERA. The power lefty also holds the Yanks to a .221 average.

Most impressive is Kazmir’s track record against most of the Yankees’ top sluggers. Jorge Posada and Mark Teixeira have his number, but check out the career averages of these other Yankee stalwarts versus Kazmir.

Robinson Cano: .154
Johnny Damon: .167
Derek Jeter: .111
Hideki Matsui: .179
Alex Rodriguez: .125
Nick Swisher: .185

That’s two thirds of the Yankee starters hitting below the Mendoza line against him.

DALE’S PICK: Pitching against a team he dominates and in the comfort of his home stadium, Kazmir is a safe online sports betting pick to keep the Yankees in check. Expect a low-scoring game and bet on the Angels to edge the Yankees and even up the series.

Yankees vs Angels Betting Edge: Angels +122

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Dale Lalonde is BetOnline.com's MLB expert.