The good thing about sports betting is that even when the season is over for teams out of the playoff race, you can still find an edge and bet on the game. We get this on Saturday night when the Texas Rangers visit the Los Angeles Angels, with both teams being afterthoughts in the postseason picture. The Rangers couldn't create a successful World Series defense after injuries and bad luck. They sit 11 games behind the Houston Astros in the American League West. Meanwhile, the Angels assumed they'd struggle this season after losing Shohei Ohtani to free agency, and an injury to Mike Trout didn't help matters. They have the second-worst record in the American League, ahead of only the Chicago White Sox who had a historically bad season. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Rangers-Angels prediction and pick.
Rangers-Angels Projected Starters
Andrew Heaney vs. Griffin Canning
Andrew Heaney is 5-14 with a 3.98 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP.
Heaney's last start was at home against the Seattle Mariners in a 6-5 victory. He pitched 5 2/3 innings with 4 strikeouts, allowing 7 hits, 1 walk, 4 earned runs, and 1 home run.
Heaney is 2-8 on the road with a 4.31 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP.
Griffin Canning is 6-13 with a 5.24 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP.
Canning's last start was on the road against the Houston Astros. He pitched 4 1/3 innings with 3 strikeouts, allowing 6 hits, 3 walks, 4 earned runs, and 2 home runs.
Canning is 6-3 at home with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. His home splits are astonishingly better than on the road, where he is 0-10 with a 6.06 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Rangers-Angels Odds
Texas Rangers: -1.5 (+115)
Moneyline: -150
Los Angeles Angels: +1.5 (-135)
Moneyline: +125
Over: 8.5 (-105)
Under: 8.5 (-115)
How to Watch Rangers vs. Angels
Time: 9:35 PM ET/6:35 PM PT
TV: Bally Sports Network
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why The Rangers Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Rangers dominated the season series and have already won the first game of this series 5-2. It's the third win in a row and the fourth of the last five after they won three games in a four-game set at the beginning of the month.
The Rangers' offense has been performing well over their past ten games, recording a .244 average and a .309 on-base percentage with 4.4 runs/nine.
Why The Angels Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Rangers have plenty of success against the Angels, but for some reason, they haven't been able to solve Griffin Canning. Canning has back-to-back starts with just two earned runs allowed, with one resulting in a loss because Los Angeles didn't register a run. The Angels could find some success against Andrew Heaney, as they jumped on him for three earned runs in his last start against them on September 8.
The Angels also have a better bullpen than the Rangers recently, as their relievers have a 3.57 ERA over the last three games. The Rangers have a 4.07 ERA, but neither bullpen has been bad this season.
Final Rangers-Angels Prediction & Pick
It's unfortunate for both of these starting pitchers that the supporting cast of offense around them has been unable to give them more wins this season. Their numbers aren't as bad as their record would suggest. It's also been an average season for each team's bullpen, which is why the under can be a good play here. The total has gone under in three of the last five games between these teams.
Final Rangers-Angels Prediction & Pick: Under 8.5 (-115)