The Texas Rangers take on the Los Angeles Angels. Check out our MLB odds series for our Rangers Angels prediction and pick.

Martin Perez gets the call for the Rangers, while Patrick Sandoval gets the start for the Angels.

Martin Perez has a 2.59 ERA. He has been terrific for Texas this season. That said, he has struggled over the past month. His ERA on June 5 was 1.56, so his ERA has risen by more than one full run since then. His ERA was still lower than two runs, at 1.96, heading into the final week of June, but in a three-start sequence from June 27-July 9, Perez faltered. He allowed 13 runs in those three starts, encompassing 18 2/3 innings. The pitcher who produced a spectacular 0.64 ERA in the entire month of May was nowhere to be found.

In his last two starts, however, Perez has regained form. He has allowed just two runs in his last 12 innings and has stabilized. Given how depleted the Angels' batting order currently is, Perez should expect to deliver a strong start in Anaheim.

Patrick Sandoval has a 3.64 ERA. That's not terrible, to be sure, but his ERA was 1.79 on May 22, just before the Angels' catastrophic, season-altering 14-game losing streak from which they never recovered. He got knocked around in a few starts. In mid-to-late June, he stabilized by producing three straight strong outings. In July, however, it has all come apart for Sandoval, whose ERA for the month — entering this July 29 start — is 7.11. That is why his season ERA is above 3.60. Sandoval has allowed 29 hits in 19 innings pitched in July. He has allowed only one home run, but hitters are consistently putting the ball in play against him. He has also allowed nine walks in those 19 innings, another reason for his struggles this month. Sandoval has to regain command and find better location on his pitchers. Let's not try to overcomplicate matters.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Rangers-Angels MLB odds.

MLB Odds: Rangers-Angels Odds

Texas Rangers: -1.5 (+162)

Los Angeles Angels: +1.5 (-196)

Over: 7.5 (-105)

Under: 7.5 (-115)

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Why The Rangers Could Cover the Spread

They are a better team than the Angels. They beat the Halos on Thursday night even though Shohei Ohtani pitched well for Los Angeles. The Rangers were able to shut out the Angels and take advantage of all the injuries to a very hollowed-out Halo batting order. Martin Perez has been Texas' best starting pitcher this season. He should be able to thrive in this matchup. As long as the Rangers can score a modest amount of runs and not make huge defensive mistakes, they should be in great shape here.

Why The Angels Could Cover the Spread

After getting shut out on Thursday, the Angels — while hardly at full strength — should still be able to bounce back and score reasonably well. The Rangers are not a tremendous hitting team. They were handled by Ohtani on Thursday and can certainly be kept under wraps. Perez is a superb pitcher, but he could very easily lose a 3-2 or 4-2 decision to the Halos in this game. The Rangers might be the better team, but they're not a good team. They could easily step on a rake in this contest; after all, they lost a series to the Oakland Athletics last weekend. They're also very tired as they work toward the end of a very long road trip which began last Thursday, July 21.

Final Rangers-Angels Prediction & Pick

The pitching matchup between Perez and Sandoval cuts clearly in Texas' favor, given Sandoval's recent struggles. Maybe Sandoval will bounce back here, but Texas is the better choice. Perez should dominate the Halos' bats.

Final Rangers-Angels Prediction & Pick: Rangers -1.5