The Los Angeles Angels (9-9) travel to face off against the Tampa Bay Rays (10-9) on Thursday, April 18th. This game will be played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg and televised on BSSUN. The Angels are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Rays are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Rays. First pitch is set for 1:10 ET.

Angels vs Rays

It was a low-scoring game in the most recent game of this Angels vs Rays series. Los Angeles went into the matchup as +102 underdogs and squeaked out a 5-4 win. Both teams scored one run in the first inning, and the Rays could only muster one more run in the 2nd inning. As for the Angels, they scored the game’s go-ahead run in the 5th, and both offenses went silent after that.

Tampa Bay had a chance to win the game in the 8th, as they scored two runs to cut the deficit to 5-4, but the Angels bullpen closed things out. Hunter Strickland got the win, while Pete Fairbanks took the loss.

Reid Detmers got the start for the Angels, going just 5 1/3 innings while giving up one run and striking out four. He did not factor into the decision. Zack Littell only went 5 2/3 innings for the Rays, giving up three earned runs on eight hits.

After taking the series opener vs the Rays, the Angels dropped the series’ second game. Currently, the Angels are in 2nd place in the AL West, half a game behind the Rangers. So far, the Angels are yet to play a game against AL West opponents.

On the road, the Angels have gone 7-5 this season compared to 2-4 at home. Los Angeles is just one game above .500 at 9-9. When favored, the Angels are 1-1 this season and have gone 8-8 as the underdog.

When the Angels are on the road, they’ve been a good bet against the run line, going 9-3. They’ve won four straight games against the run line on the road, and they’ve been a good bet as the underdog, going 10-6. They’ve been outscored by an average of 0.3 runs per game overall, but they’ve outscored their opponents by 0.3 runs per game on the road. Their average run differential in wins is +3.9, while it’s -4.4 in losses.

The Los Angeles Angels have been on a three-game over streak, and their games have averaged 9.7 runs per game this season. Their over/under record is 10-8, and when the O/U line is set at 8.5 runs, they are 8-2. The O/U line for today’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays is set at 8.5 runs, and the Angels have had six games with higher O/U lines this season.

Griffin Canning Gets The Start For The Angels

Griffin Canning and the Angels are on the road to take on the Rays. Canning has started the season with a pair of losses, as he gave up 6 earned runs in his last start against the Red Sox. In his first start of the season, he went 5 innings and gave up 5 runs to the Orioles.

Angels Offense Breakdown

For the Angels, we like Taylor Ward to have a big day at the plate. He has the highest total hits projection on the team and the 8th highest home run projection in the league today. Logan O’Hoppe is our 2nd highest projected home run hitter on the Angels and 8th in the league. Mike Trout has the top home run projection for the Angels and the 6th best in the league today.

The Rays are in a three-way tie with the Blue Jays and Red Sox for 3rd place in the AL East heading into today’s game. Currently, they are just above .500 with a record of 10-9. In their series vs. the Angels, they are 1-2 so far.

Tampa Bay has an overall series record of 3-1-1, and they have won their last three series. When favored, they are 9-8 this season, compared to 1-1 as the underdog. At home, they are 6-7 and 4-2 on the road.

Despite a negative run differential on the season, the Rays have been a solid bet against the run line, going 7-12 overall. They have been particularly profitable on the road, where they are 3-3 against the run line. They have been a better bet as the underdog, going 1-1 against the run line in those games.

The Tampa Bay Rays have been an over machine this season, with a combined run average of 9.6 runs per game. Their over/under record is 12-7, and their games have averaged 9 runs per game. When the over/under line has been set at 8.5 runs, they have gone over in 5 of 9 games. Their over streak is at 5 games, and their games have gone over in 21.1% of their games this season.

Ryan Pepiot Gets The Start For The Rays

After a win in his first start of the season, Ryan Pepiot took a loss in his last outing, giving up 4 earned runs in 5 innings of work. He will be starting for the Rays at home against the Angels.

Rays Offense Breakdown

Our model has Yandy Díaz as the top hitter for the Rays today, as his total hits projection is the 8th best in today’s slate of games. If you’re looking for a Rays player to hit a home run, Isaac Paredes has the top odds on the team and the 6th best odds in today’s games. Richie Palacios also has a solid chance to go deep, as his home run projection is 8th best in today’s games.

Angels vs Rays Prediction

Our prediction for today’s Angels vs. Rays matchup is to take the Rays on the money line at -155. We have the Rays winning this one by a score of 5-4, and with the payout at -155, we feel good about locking in the Rays for the win.

Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Griffin Canning finishing with six strikeouts compared to Ryan Pepiot with five. However, we have Pepiot going just five innings, which is why we don’t suggest looking at the starting pitcher markets for this one.

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.