The Los Angeles Angels will travel to Arlington, Texas to begin a four-game series against the Texas Rangers on Monday night. It's time to continue our MLB odds series and make an Angels-Rangers prediction and pick.
Both of these AL West rivals are essentially out of playoff contention. The Rangers haven't had a shot of making the postseason since opening day, but the Angels are clinging to some slim hope that they can play their way in. Los Angeles is currently 11.5 games back of first place, so every game is crucial for them. This is a big opportunity for the Angels to get back on track against one of the worst teams in the majors. Texas is just playing for pride, but they would love to crush their rival's slim playoff chances in this series.
Here's how the bookmakers have set the lines for Monday's game.
MLB Odds: Angels-Rangers Odds
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Los Angeles Angels ML (-140)
Texas Rangers ML (+117)
Over 7 1/2 runs (-105)
Under 7 1/2 runs (-115)
Why The Angels Could Cover The Spread
Their record may not indicate it, but the Angels are one of the best offenses in the league. They rank inside the top 10 in batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS. Los Angeles has also hit the seventh-most home runs in baseball. This lineup presents a problem to whoever is unlucky enough to pitch against it, and Rangers starter Dane Dunning will learn that the hard way.
Dunning has had a halfway decent season for the Rangers, but his numbers aren't exactly inspiring. He owns a 4.20 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP on the year, but his numbers against the Angels are much worse.
He has faced Los Angeles twice, getting knocked out of the game early in both appearances. In total, Dunning has pitched nine innings against the Angels and has surrendered 11 runs to them. Los Angeles should be able to continue a strong offensive season and put up plenty of runs against Dunning.
Why The Rangers Could Cover The Spread
The Rangers don't exactly match the Angels in terms of offensive skill, but they do have the pitching advantage in this matchup. Los Angeles is set to send Jose Suarez to the mound in what will presumably be a bullpen game.
Suarez's season-long stats are decent, but his last seven appearances have been rough. H has posted a 4.44 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP over that span. Suarez is primarily a reliever, so he shouldn't be pitching more than four innings in this contest. The Los Angeles bullpen will have to pitch a strong five or six innings when Suarez is pulled. That's a tall task for a relief corps that only has two relievers with an ERA lower than 4.00. Texas isn't an offensive powerhouse, but this Angels bullpen should allow them to score at a decent clip.
Dane Dunning has certainly had his struggles against the Angels in the past, but there's reason to believe he can clean that up in this series opener. Dunning is a much better pitcher when he plays at home, as he's pitching to the tune of a 2.58 ERA whenever he pitches in Globe Life Field. The Angels are also slightly worse against right-handed pitching as opposed to lefties. Dunning should be able to improve on his previous performances and put together a decent outing.
Final Angels-Rangers Prediction & Pick
This is a pretty easy pick if the over/under line remains where it is. The over is as close to a lock as you can get. The Angels are one of the best teams in baseball at the plate, and the Rangers have the privilege of facing a rocky bullpen for a full nine innings. The over could be broken in the first half of the game.
FINAL PICK: Over 7 1/2 runs (-105)
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