The Los Angeles Angels (17-28) travel to face off against the Texas Rangers (23-23) on Saturday, May 18th. This game will be played at Globe Life Field in Arlington and televised on FOX. The Angels are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Rangers are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Angels. First pitch is set for 7:15 ET.
Angels vs Rangers
Thanks to a nine-run 5th inning for the Angels’ offense, they cruised to a 9-3 win over the Rangers in the most recent game of this series. Heading into the game, the Angels were at +162 on the money line.
The starting pitching matchup for this game featured Tyler Anderson for the Angels, and he went just four innings but gave up just one hit and one earned run. Andrew Heaney struggled on the mound for the Rangers, giving up five runs in just 3 2/3 innings of work.
Los Angeles got a huge performance from Zach Neto, as he went 2/5 with a home run and five RBIs. Both Taylor Ward and Willie Calhoun each drove in two for the Angels’ offense.
After taking the series opener vs. the Rangers, the Angels will look to pick up another win today. Overall, the Angels are 17-28, putting them 5th in the AL West. They are seven games behind the Mariners for the division lead. So far, they are 1-0 in divisional games.
At home, the Angels are just 6-16 this year, but they have gone 11-12 on the road. One area they have struggled in has been during day games, where they are 4-13 this year. As the underdog, the Angels are 16-24 this year and 1-4 when favored. Los Angeles’ overall series record is 2-11-1, and they have dropped two straight series at home.
When it comes to the run line, the Angels have been a good bet this season, going 23-22. They have been particularly good on the road, where they are 14-9 against the run line. They have covered the run line in three straight games and are 23-17 as the underdog this season.
The Angels have been on a four-game over streak, and their over/under record for the season is 26-18. Their games have had an average of 9.5 runs per game, and their games have had an average over/under line of 9 runs per game. Their games have had an over/under line of 9 runs in 8 of their games, and their games have had an over/under line of 9 runs in 11.1% of their games.
Patrick Sandoval Gets The Start For The Angels
Left-hander Patrick Sandoval gets the start for the Angels today as he faces the Rangers on the road. Sandoval has made nine starts this year and has a record of 2-6 with an ERA of 5.00. Looking at his home/road splits, Sandoval has gone 2-2 on the road with a 7.39 ERA. At home, he is 0-4 with a 4.94 ERA. Sandoval’s WHIP for the season is 1.53, and he is coming off a rough outing where he gave up four earned runs in six innings of work. Before that, he had pitched well, picking up the win and not allowing a run in seven innings of work.
Angels Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Angels are 15th in the league in scoring, averaging 4.4 runs per game. This is the same number of runs they are averaging on the road. As a team, they are batting .248, which is 8th in the league, and have the 7th best batting average on balls in play. The Angels have been a patient team at the plate, as they are 22nd in walks but have the league’s 9th best slugging percentage.
Mike Trout is leading the Angels with 10 home runs, but he is batting just .220 for the season. Taylor Ward has been a bright spot for the team, as he is batting .273 and is 2nd on the team with nine homers. Ward has also gone 5/19 in his last five games, with two homers and four runs scored. Willie Calhoun has also been swinging a hot bat, going 11/23 in his last five games with a home run.
Texas will host the Angels today with an overall record of 23-23, which has them 2nd in the AL West, 1.5 games behind the Mariners for the division lead. The Rangers lost the first game of this series vs. the Angels and are just 3-7 over their last 10 games.
So far, the Rangers have gone 8-10 in AL West matchups this season. At home, they are 11-12 compared to 12-11 on the road. As the favorite, the Rangers are 14-14 and 9-9 as the underdog. Texas’ overall series record is 7-6-1, but they have dropped two straight series.
When betting the run line, the Texas Rangers have been a better play on the road than at home, going 10-13 vs. 9-14. They have been a better play as the underdog, going 10-8 vs. 9-19 as the favorite. Their average run margin is +0.2 runs per game, and they have a run line record of 19-27.
In their last 10 games, the Rangers have seen an average of 9.2 runs per game scored between the two teams. Their over/under record for the season is 20-25, and when the line has been set at 9 runs, they are 5-8. The over/under line for today’s game against the Angels is set at 9 runs.
José Ureña Gets The Start For The Rangers
José Ureña is getting the start for the Rangers today and comes into the game with a record of 1-3 and an ERA of 3.62. So far, he has made 12 appearances and 2 starts. Ureña’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.24. The right-hander has made one quality start this year and is averaging 5.85 strikeouts per nine innings. Looking back at his last outing, Ureña took the loss, going 6 2/3 innings and giving up 2 earned runs on 6 hits. Before that, he had won two straight outings. Ureña has given up at least one homer in three straight appearances.
Rangers Offense Breakdown
Over the past 10 games, Marcus Semien has been on fire for the Rangers, going 16/43 with four home runs and 11 RBIs. This has moved his season average up to .276, and his nine homers are 2nd on the team and 5th in the league. Adolis Garcia has also been a key power bat for the Rangers, as he is 4th in the league with 10 homers and has driven in 34 runs (5th in the MLB).
As a team, the Rangers are averaging 4.7 runs per game, which is 9th in the league. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.3 runs per contest. Overall, they are 8th in home runs and have the 7th best batting average in the league.
Angels vs Rangers Prediction
Our prediction for this Angels vs. Rangers matchup is to take the Rangers on the money line at -137. We have the Rangers winning this one by a score of 6-4. Offensively, the Rangers are our top team in terms of projected hits, and they are also projected to finish with the most home runs of any team today.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have José Ureña finishing with six strikeouts, which is good for eighth among today’s starters. As for Patrick Sandoval, he is projected to finish with six strikeouts, which has him ranked 13th.
Another reason we are going with the Rangers on the money line is that they have the best odds to win among all of today’s starters. And if you’re looking for a player prop bet, you could look to take Ureña’s strikeout total.
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.
Last updated:May 18, 2024 Angels, Rangers