by Rod Pearson
Thursday, Aug 17, 2023
Game Time: 9:38 pm ET, Friday, August 18, 2023
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, CA
Where to Watch: MLB Network
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline odds: Rays +100, Angels -120; Over/Under: 9.5 runs
Bet365: Moneyline odds: Rays +100, Angels -120; Over/Under: 9.5 runs
BetMGM: Moneyline odds: Rays +100, Angels -120; Over/Under: 9.5 runs
Season Record
Tampa Bay Rays: 73-50 (2nd place, AL East)
Los Angeles Angels: 60-62 (4th place, AL West)
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Recent Form
Tampa Bay Rays: 6-4 last 10
Los Angeles Angels: 4-6 last 10
Tampa Bay Rays vs Los Angeles Angels Preview and Analysis
The Rays are entering this series off a win and won their 3-game series against the San Francisco Giants 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 73-50 record overall and have a road record of 33-28. This is the series opener of a 3-game series with the LA Angels on Friday and they have Thursday off as a day of rest. Their offense ranks 4th in the MLB with a .771 OPS. Aaron Civale was their starting pitcher on Wednesday while Erasmo Ramírez is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 2-3 with a 5.72 ERA this season. His team won 2 of their last 3 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 1 ER, 0 HR, and 1 BB with 3 Ks on 3 hits through 3 IP against the Detroit Tigers.
The Angels are entering this series off a win but lost their 3-game series against the Texas Rangers 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 60-62 record overall and have a home record of 31-28. This is the 1st game of a 3-game series with the Rays on Friday and they have Thursday off as a day of rest. Their offense ranks 6th in the MLB with a .761 OPS. Reid Detmers was their starting pitcher on Wednesday while Tyler Anderson is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 5-4 with a 5.28 ERA this season. His team lost their last 2 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 7 earned runs, 1 homer, and 3 BB with 6 strikeouts on 6 hits through 4.2 innings played against the Houston Astros.
Rays vs Angels Prediction
The current betting odds have the Rays listed as a slight underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Rays have been a really good team all season as they led the AL East for most of the season and are now in 2nd place but still have 70+ wins this year and one of the best offenses in the entire MLB. They also have a great and really consistent pitching staff while the Angels also have a good offense but have had some terrible pitching all season and have even been in a huge slump lately as they continue to lose games and are now under .500 on the season. They have fallen right out of the playoff race while the Rays are on a mission to get back in 1st place in the AL East and the Rays have been getting really hot once again, playing the way they were playing for most of the 1st half of the season. The Rays have Ramirez on the mound here and he hasn't been great this season but has been giving up a lot less runs in his appearances lately and also has a really good offense to back him up. Meanwhile, Anderson is on the mound for the Angels and he has been terrible this season giving up a ton of runs in his starts and even gave up 7 earned runs in his last one. The Rays offense is getting hot once again and they will take advantage of the scoring opportunities they get in this game while the Angels continue to struggle on offense against this good pitching staff while also in the middle of a slump. The best way to place a bet here is on the Rays to win this game.
Rays Angels Prediction: Our MLB Pick for Friday, August 18, 2023 (9:38 pm ET start time) is Rays 6 Angels 1.
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MLB Betting Trends
Tampa Bay Rays: 15-7 (+6 units) on the moneyline against left-handed starters. 30-16 (+6.9 units) on the moneyline after allowing 2 runs or less. 28-18 UNDER on the road when the total is 8.5 to 10.
Los Angeles Angels: 60-62 (-7.4 units) on the moneyline in all games. 23-21 (-8 units) on the moneyline as a home favorite of -110 or higher. 32-19 UNDER when the total is 9 to 9.5. 26-16 UNDER as a home favorite of -110 or higher.
Key Injuries
Tampa Bay Rays: J. Siri (CF) Ques Fri - Finger. K. Kelly (SP) Out indefinitely - Ankle. S. McClanahan (SP) out for season - Forearm. M. Margot (CF) Mid Sept - Elbow. A. Kittredge (RP) Late Aug - Elbow. T. Walls (SS) Out indefinitely - Oblique. F. Mejia (C) Early Sept - Knee. D. Rasmussen (RP) out for season - Elbow. G. Cleavinger (RP) out for season - Knee. J. Springs (RP) out for season - Elbow. S. Baz (SP) out for season - Elbow.
Los Angeles Angels: C. Devenski (RP) Late Aug - Hamstring. J. Adell (LF) Mid Sept - Oblique. Z. Neto (SS) Mid Sept - Back. J. Suarez (RP) Late Aug - Shoulder. B. Joyce (RP) Late Aug - Hand. M. Trout (CF) Late Aug - Wrist. T. Ward (RF) Late Sept - Face. L. O'Hoppe (C) Early Sept - Shoulder. S. Bachman (SP) Out indefinitely - Shoulder. A. Rendon (3B) Late Aug - Shin. G. Urshela (3B) out for season - Pelvis. M. Stassi (C) Out indefinitely - Hip. A. Warren (RP) out for season - Elbow. J. Quijada (RP) out for season - Elbow. C. Rodriguez (RP) Out indefinitely - Shoulder.
Notable Quotes
“That was really cool. It looked like a rat running across the top of the fence.” - Kevin Cash after his team’s win against the Giants in their game on Wednesday.
“It was kind of one of the things that we thought about, like get him back out there, so not to dwell on his last couple of outings for a whole week. He made some adjustments in between starts. ... I’m really proud of him. He’s gone through a lot for a young kid who’s going to be a big part of our future.” - Phil Nevin after his team’s win against the Rangers in their game on Wednesday.
Starting Lineups
Tampa Bay Rays
Yandy Diaz (R) 1B
Brandon Lowe (L) 2B
Randy Arozarena (R) LF
Isaac Paredes (R) 3B
Josh Lowe (L) RF
Harold Ramirez (R) DH
Osleivis Basabe (R) SS
Jose Siri (R) CF
Christian Bethancourt (R) C
Los Angeles Angels
Mickey Moniak (L) CF
Shohei Ohtani (L) DH
Brandon Drury (R) 2B
Mike Moustakas (L) 1B
Luis Rengifo (S) SS
Matt Thaiss (L) C
Hunter Renfroe (R) RF
Eduardo Escobar (S) 3B
Randal Grichuk (R) LF
Statistical Leaders
Tampa Bay Rays
Batting Average: Yandy Diaz (.322)
Hits: Yandy Diaz (129)
Home Runs: Isaac Paredes (23)
RBI: Isaac Paredes (71)
Stolen Bases: Wander Franco (30)
Wins: Zach Eflin (12)
Saves: Pete Fairbanks (15)
ERA: Chase Anderson (0.00)
Los Angeles Angels
Batting Average: Shohei Ohtani (.306)
Hits: Shohei Ohtani (137)
Home Runs: Shohei Ohtani (42)
RBI: Shohei Ohtani (85)
Stolen Bases: Shohei Ohtani (17)
Wins: Shohei Ohtani (10)
Saves: Carlos Estevez (26)
ERA: Reynaldo Lopez (1.17)
Managers:
Tampa Bay Rays: Kevin Cash (9th season)
Los Angeles Angels: Phil Nevin (2nd season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
