The Los Angeles Angels will head to The Sunshine State to take on the Tampa Bay Rays in the first game of their three-game series. It’s time to continue our MLB odds series and make an Angels – Rays prediction and pick.
The Rays were able to bounce back from a seven-game losing streak and close out the final two games against the Boston Red Sox in their previous series and remain in first place in the competitive American League East with a 45-31 record.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the Angels-Rays odds.
MLB Odds: Angels-Rays Odds
Los Angeles Angels+1.5 (-135)
Tampa Bay Rays +1.5 (+115)
Over 8.5 Runs (-116)
Under 8.5 Runs (-104)
Why The Rays Could Cover The Spread
The Rays' record against the run-line falls hand in hand with their overall wins and losses at 45-31. However, after a win, that number increases even higher as they cover 70.5% of the time, which is the highest in the MLB in such circumstances.
Tampa Bay plans to give Andrew Kitteredge his 4th start of the season. The right-hander typically does most of his work as a reliever and only has 4.1 innings pitched this season as a starter. However, overall on the year, he is 5-1 and has a 1.27 ERA.
Stole the series 😏 pic.twitter.com/z18VUniXCH
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 25, 2021
The Rays are second in the league with 2590 attempts at-bat this season but are in the bottom third in batting average at .227. This has resulted in them leaving 521 runners on base, while the league average is currently 480.
Despite the Rays having a poor team batting average, they have been able to earn clutch hits in the later innings. This has resulted in them being eighth in the Majors with 4.83 runs per game.
Why The Angels Could Cover The Spread
The Angels are 32-42 against the run line this season, and that number falls even lower when they are on the road. They cover just 41.2% of the time when playing out of Los Angeles.
The Angels plan to start Griffin Canning on the mound. The 25-year-old has struggled this season. He is 5-4 with a 5.07 ERA on the year. In his last start, he pitched five innings and had just two strikeouts, leading to an 8-4 loss against the Athletics.
Unlike the Rays, the Angels are productive from the batter's box, with a team batting average of .255, ranking them fourth in the league.
Individually, Los Angeles has the current American League MVP betting favorite in Shohei Ohtani. So far, he has 23 home runs and is third in the league for runs batted in with 54.
The Angels will need an electric performance from Ohtani and a solid night from Griffin Canning to move up in the American League and come away with a victory against the Rays.
Final Angels-Rays Prediction & Pick
In a game where both teams have questionable pitching on the mound, the total is the pick to focus on. The Angels have hit the over consistently on the road recently while the over is 3-0-1 in the Rays' last four home games.
For those reasons and the current form of Shohei Ohtani, the Angels and the Rays will likely score over 8.5 runs.
FINAL PICK: Over 8.5 (-116)
Follow Us
Subscribe