Rays-Angels Game 2 prediction, odds, pick, how to watch
Double the trouble! Game two of a Saturday double-header between a pair of American League squads will be front and center as the AL East Tampa Bay Rays go head-to-head on the diamond with the AL West Los Angeles Angels. Join us for our MLB odds series where our Rays-Angels prediction and pick will be revealed.
Having bested the Angels in the opening game of this weekend's series on Friday by a score of 9-6 and set to begin the first game of the doubleheader this afternoon, Tampa Bay is in a heated race with the Baltimore Orioles for a division title on the line. Bafflingly enough, the Rays sit 24 games above the .500 mark at 74-50 and trail the O's by only two games for AL East bragging rights. For the second tilt, the Rays will send out RHP Zach Eflin who is a rock solid 12-7 to go along with a 3.67 ERA.
On the other side of things, the ‘Halos hold a 2-5 record in their last seven games and are growing farther and farther away from being a possible playoff contender. At 60-63 overall, LA is 7.5 games out of the Wild Card race and are beginning to run out of time to go make a run with only 39 games remaining in the regular season. Regardless, Los Angeles will call upon lefty Patrick Sandoval to stop the bleeding as he possesses a 6-9 overall record and 4.09 ERA.
Here are the Rays-Angels MLB odds,
MLB Odds: Rays-Angels Game 2 Odds
Tampa Bay Rays: -1.5 (+125)
Los Angeles Angels: +1.5 (-150)
Over: 8.5 (-118)
Under: 8.5 (-104)
How To Watch Rays vs. Angels Game 2
TV: Bally Sports Sun/Fox Sports West
Stream: MLB.TV
Time: 9:07 ET/6:07 PT
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Why The Rays Could Cover The Spread
Not only are the Rays the better team on paper, but have you noticed just how well Tampa Bay plays as a team? On both sides of the diamond, the Rays are one of very few teams that can outhit you and also pitch to perfection en route to covering the spread. However, the greatest strength of this Tampa Bay ball club comes in the form of their ability to keep runners at bay and eventually strand them in gaudy fashion. In fact, opposing hitters also have the lowest batting average at .233 in the entire league. Good luck hitting against these guys.
Back in the days when Eflin used to pitch for Philadelphia, the 29-year-old native from Orlando's lone start against the ‘Halos came back on June 3rd of last summer when Eflin silenced the Angels with eight scoreless innings in the Phillies' 10-0 victory. Simply put, staying ahead in the count and filling the zone with a plethora of strikes will go a long way in Eflin finding a way to limit LA's opportunities at the plate.
Furthermore, a big reason why the Rays could cover the spread in the second game of a doubleheader will be in large part due to Tampa Bay's leading average-getter in first-baseman Yandy Diaz. After back-to-back multi-hit games that pushed Diaz's average to a sparkling .322 (fifth-best in majors), keep your eyes peeled for the 6'2″ first-baseman to inflict some pain upon the arms of the Angels in the nightcap.
Why The Angels Could Cover The Spread
Another season with two of the best players in the sport has almost come and gone, and another campaign is trending towards missing out on the playoff festivities once again. As depressing as that is to hear for Angels fans, they aren't technically out of the running this season just yet. While the odds are certainly stacked against them, the Angels need to go on an absolute tear starting tonight to put themselves back in a position where they can make a run.
In order to embark on the beginning of their stellar play, there is no doubt that the ‘Halos need some good mojo to go their way in regard to their pitching. Fortunately, expected starter Patrick Sandoval has become quite familiar with the Rays over the years with an 0-1 record and a 2.65 ERA in four career starts. Despite being winless versus Tampa Bay, he tends to pitch rather well against them and will need the offense to produce some sort of run support en route to covering the spread.
If there is one name that fans and bettors are at least a little excited to see suit up on Saturday, it will be rookie first-baseman Noah Schanuel. After being selected by the Angels in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft, it only took Schanuel six weeks to get called up to The Show which is not only rare but extremely fascinating. Will the 21-year-old make an impact right off the bat to help his squad come out triumphant?
Final Rays-Angels Game 2 Prediction & Pick
Call me crazy, but the Angels are due for one right? Almost but not quite as rare as a tropical storm hitting the coast of California in the form of Hurricane Hillary this weekend, Los Angeles will finally put together a quality nine innings of baseball thanks to a brilliant, all-around performance as +1.5 run underdogs.
Final Rays-Angels Game 2 Prediction & Pick: Angels +1.5 (-150)
