In a day filled with unreal American League action, the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Angels will take part when they square off on the diamond Tuesday night. It is about that time to check out our MLB odds series, where our Rays-Angels prediction and pick will be on full display for all to see.
After winning six straight, the Rays have now dropped back-to-back games after getting blown out by the Angels on Monday, 11-3. Kevin Cash's club now sits at 18-12, good for second place in the AL East. On the bump for Tampa Bay will be the savvy veteran in Corey Kluber, who has managed to turn back the clock with his impressive 2.42 ERA through five starts this year.
Opposing Kluber on the mound in this thrilling matchup will be LHP Reid Detmers, who has no doubt experienced his fair share of struggles with a 1-1 record and 5.32 ERA thus far. The Angels have shown themselves as a ball club to be reckoned with in 2022, though, as their 20-11 record is one of the best marks in all of the American League.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Rays-Angels MLB odds.
MLB odds: Rays-Angels Odds
Tampa Bay Rays: -1.5 (+146)
Los Angeles Angels: +1.5 (-176)
Over: 8.5 (-106)
Under: 8.5 (-114)
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Why the Rays Could Cover the Spread
After a record hovering around the .500 mark to start the season, the Rays kicked it into high gear and decided to go streaking. Although now with a losing skid next to their name, the Rays are a dangerous squad that is capable of ensuing damage at any given rate. Tampa Bay was flat-out humiliated less than 24 hours ago in Anaheim, so it should be interesting to watch which Rays team shows up on Tuesday.
In the 11-3 defeat, Tampa Bay did in fact experience a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning, but that edge soon evaporated as the Angels piled on the scoring with 11 runs in the next four frames. Tampa Bay managed 1o hits but stranded 10 men on base and did not pitch well.
In order for a quick turnaround in Los Angeles, the Rays must play a complete game in all aspects. Tampa Bay can certainly get the job done given its usual well-rounded attack.
Offensively, the Rays come in sixth in batting average at .246 and have also scored 133 runs up to this point in the season, good for seventh in baseball. Leading the way at the dish has been none other than right fielder Manuel Margot, whose .337 batting average and 20 RBI both lead the team.
Bafflingly, the Rays have somehow not recorded a quality start from their starting pitching staff, but they have still logged in a team ERA of 3.53, which ranks out as the 13th-best number in the majors. Additionally, they are the sixth-best group in WHIP and opposing batting average allowed as well.
Tampa Bay is 6-1 against lefties this season. However, the Rays are only 14-16 ATS in 30 games played.
Why the Angels Could Cover the Spread
The Angels could cover the spread versus the Rays simply because of their recent dominance against them. In the last 10 meetings between these pair of AL contenders, Los Angeles is 7-3 and has come out victorious five out of the last six times.
LA has been assertive against this East Coast foe with an exuberant amount of production from the offense and serviceable pitching that has kept them in most games.
Monday night, it was the Shohei Ohtani show, as the Japanese slugger went yard twice, including his first grand slam, and racked up a monstrous five RBI in the Angels' victory. A repeat performance at the plate would no doubt give LA a humongous chance in covering the spread yet again, as it appears this Angels offense is hitting on all cylinders at the moment.
As a team, the Angels have the most runs in baseball with 150. To tack on, Los Angeles also leads in home runs with 36 and sit in first in slugging percentage with a .416 mark. Opposing pitching is more often than not forced to pick their poison against such a destructive lineup.
With more runs being scored on the daily than the soaring gas prices within California for the Angels, southpaw Reid Detmers can take a deep breath knowing that he'll have some run support when he first steps foot on the rubbe. Despite the struggles, Detmers showed flashes of improvement when he tossed 4 2/3 innings while allowing four hits in his last start, though he did allow three earned runs.
Los Angeles is 16-15 ATS so far this season.
Final Rays-Angels Prediction & Pick
When healthy, Corey Kluber is an elite pitcher who can blow it by hitters and also keep them off-balanced with breaking balls. Tampa Bay is too good of a squad to have a repeat of its poor outing from Monday night, so expect them to come out with a vengeance and a sense of urgency in Anaheim. The Rays will bounce back in a big way.
Final Rays-Angels Pick: Rays -1.5 (+146)
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