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The Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers began their four-game series with a 3-1 victory for Texas on Thursday night. Neither of these American League West teams looks like they'll make a playoff push, as the Rangers are 7.5 games out of the wild-card race. The Angels have been out of the race for most of the season and currently have the second-worst record in the American League. The Rangers have won six of their last ten meetings with the Angels, and eight of their past ten games overall. The Angels have lost six of their last ten. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with an Angels-Rangers prediction and pick.
Angels-Rangers Projected Starters
Tyler Anderson vs. Jack Leiter
Tyler Anderson is 10-12 with a 3.55 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP.
Anderson's last start was at home against the Seattle Mariners. He pitched 4 innings with 3 strikeouts, allowing 6 hits, 3 walks, 4 earned runs, and 2 home runs. It's part of a four-start stretch where he allowed 17 earned runs.
Anderson is 7-4 on the road with a 2.26 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP.
Jack Leiter is 0-2 with an 11.78 ERA and a 2.13 WHIP.
Leiter's last start was at home against the New York Yankees. He pitched 5 innings with 2 strikeouts, allowing 7 hits, no walks, and 5 earned runs.
Leiter is 0-2 at home with a 14.85 ERA and a 1.95 WHIP.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Angels-Rangers Odds
Los Angeles Angels: +1.5 (-170)
Moneyline: +116
Texas Rangers: -1.5 (+140)
Moneyline: -136
Over: 8.5 (-115)
Under: 8.5 (-105)
How to Watch Angels vs. Rangers
Time: 7:05 PM ET/4:05 PM PT
TV:
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why The Angels Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Rangers have been struggling to hit left-handed pitching over their last ten games. They are batting just .229 with a .281 on-base percentage and 3.7 runs/nine. Tyler Anderson will need all the help he can get in this game, as he allowed four or more runs in three of his past four starts.
The Angels could also get Anderson some run support if Jack Leiter struggles. Leiter allowed 24 earned runs over his past five starts, in just 18 1/3 innings. If these two starting pitchers don't last long, the Angels will also have the advantage in the bullpen.
Why The Rangers Will Cover The Spread/Win
It's difficult to see this game turning into a pitching battle, as both pitchers are struggling mightily. Leiter arrived with plenty of hype at the beginning of the season but returned to the minors after one game when he allowed seven earned runs in his first start. He didn't play much better when he came back up a month later, allowing ten earned runs over 5 2/3 innings. Leiter looked better in his two starts in the third stint and could have his best start against a lowly Angels offense.
There aren't many teams the Rangers will face who they'll have the advantage over offensively, but the Angels are one of those squads. The Rangers are batting .266 with a .326 on-base percentage, averaging 4.5 runs/nine over their last ten games. The Angels have been abysmal over the same stretch, batting .186 with a .251 on-base percentage and 3.6 runs/nine.
Final Angels-Rangers Prediction & Pick
This could be one of those games where you put a bet in and check the score on your phone instead of tuning in to watch. It's a battle of two teams who have no hopes of a playoff berth and a lack of optimism in their lineups or pitching staffs. With that being said, the Rangers are on a hot streak and have an outside chance of sneaking into the last wild-card slot, so we'll take them to continue that run in this game.
Final Angels-Rangers Prediction & Pick: Rangers ML (-136)
