Tampa Bay Rays vs. Los Angeles Angels Betting Preview
- 05/11 7:07 PM ETMLTotalScore967TB1006.5-115 o4968LAA-1106.5-105 u2
The Tampa Bay Rays (18-13) finish up a series against the AL West leading Los Angeles Angels (21-11), at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, with first pitching coming at 7:07 PM on FS1.
Los Angeles is favored at -120 after taking the first two games of the series including last night behind a no-hitter from rookie Reid Detmers. Last night’s game also saw two home runs from Angels outfielder Mike Trout, giving him nine on the year, second most in the league.
Tampa Bay will send out lefty flame thrower Shane McClanahan (2-2, 3.06 ERA) to try to shut down the potent Angel lineup. To counter, Los Angeles will send out last year’s MVP Shohei Ohtani (3-2, 3.08 ERA).
Key Injuries
Tampa Bay has been without young starting pitcher Shane Baz, as he currently remains on the 60 day IL. Los Angeles is missing some pretty significant pieces, as pitcher Griffin Canning is on the 60 day IL and shortstop David Fletcher is on the 10 day IL. Third baseman Matt Thaiss and right fielder Taylor Ward are day-to-day and catcher Max Stassi was ruled out of last night's contest.
Betting Angles
Tampa Bay has thrived so far this year as the underdog, as they’ve gone 5-1 straight up. Los Angeles has been one game above .500 as the favorite, but they’ve been great at home with a 12-6 record. The total is set at seven and since becoming manager of Los Angeles, Joe Maddon is 31-10 hitting the over in home games against left handed pitchers.
Why Tampa Bay Can Win
Tampa Bay seems like a mainstay in the postseason, despite having one of the lowest payrolls. They continue to roll out young pitchers and McClanahan is no exception, as he has the potential to shutdown any lineup. He’s off to an okay start, giving up 11 runs over 32.1 innings. He also has 47 strikeouts on the year and won his last start against Seattle. Tampa Bay’s offensive isn’t flashy but seems to get the job done. Second baseman Brandon Lowe and right fielder Manuel Margot lead this offense that’s hitting a combine .240. They’ll have their hands full with Ohtani but he’s not impossible to beat and Tampa Bay certainly can do it.
Why Los Angeles Can Win
Two words: Mike Trout. He’s arguably the best player in baseball and is certainly playing like it this year. He’s hitting .319 with seven home runs and 19 RBI. His 1.101 OPS is good for second in the league and he has a stranglehold on another MVP trophy. If Trout isn’t enough of a reason why Los Angeles can win then maybe last year‘s MVP is. Ohtani has struck out 47 over 26.1 innings, while only allowing nine earned runs. Even if Ohtani has an off night, one of the best offenses in baseball is there to help. Los Angeles currently leads the league with 40 home runs and 145 RBI. Los Angeles has also won three straight, including the first two games of the series.
