Los Angeles Angels at Tampa Bay Rays Pick & Prediction – 4/15/2024

Los Angeles Angels vs Tampa Bay Rays Overview

• Date: April 15, 2024
• Venue: Tropicana Field
• Starting Pitchers:
  • Patrick Sandoval - Angels
  • Zach Eflin - Rays
• Run Line: Angels 1.5 -150, Rays -1.5 130
• Money Line: Angels 140, Rays -160
• Total (Over/Under):8 -110

Los Angeles Angels vs Tampa Bay Rays Win Probabilities

Implied Win %:

• Los Angeles Angels - 40%
• Tampa Bay Rays - 60%

Projected Win %:

• Los Angeles Angels - 41.37%
• Tampa Bay Rays - 58.63%

Los Angeles Angels vs Tampa Bay Rays Game Preview & Prediction

The Tampa Bay Rays are set to face off against the Los Angeles Angels in an American League matchup scheduled for April 15, 2024. The Rays, with a record of 9-7, are having a good season, while the Angels, with a record of 7-8, are having a below-average season. The game will take place at Tropicana Field, with the Rays as the home team.

On the mound, the Rays are projected to start right-handed pitcher Zach Eflin, who is ranked as the #25 best starting pitcher in MLB according to our advanced-stat Power Rankings. Eflin has started 3 games this year, with a win/loss record of 1-2 and an ERA of 6.35. However, his 3.80 xFIP suggests that he has been unlucky this season and is likely to perform better going forward.

The Angels, on the other hand, will likely start left-handed pitcher Patrick Sandoval, who is ranked as the #36 best starting pitcher in MLB according to our advanced-stat Power Rankings. Sandoval has also started 3 games this year, with a win/loss record of 1-2 and an ERA of 6.57. Like Eflin, his 4.40 xFIP indicates that he has been unlucky and may improve in future outings.

In terms of offense, the Rays rank as the #20 best team in MLB this season, while the Angels rank slightly higher at #16. The Rays have a strong batting average, ranking #9 in MLB, and excel in home runs and stolen bases, ranking #4 and #2 respectively. The Angels, meanwhile, have a solid batting average, ranking #12, and are powerful in terms of home runs, ranking #3. However, they struggle in stolen bases, ranking #27.

Based on the current odds, the Rays are the betting favorite with a moneyline of -160, implying a win probability of 59%. The Angels, as the underdog, have a moneyline of +135, suggesting a win probability of 41%.

Overall, this matchup presents an interesting clash between the Rays' strong offense and the Angels' power hitting. With both starting pitchers looking to bounce back from unlucky performances, it could be an exciting game to watch.

Quick Takes Los Angeles Angels:

Contrary to popular belief, fastballs are generally a pitcher's least effective pitch. Patrick Sandoval has utilized his non-fastballs 12.1% less often this year (51.2%) than he did last year (63.3%).

• Fastballs are the one easiest pitches to hit and generate few strikeouts, so a pitcher who begins to use his fastball more often will likely be less effective than he used to be.

Mickey Moniak is projected to bat 2nd on the lineup card today, which would be an upgrade from his 63% rate of hitting in the bottom-half of the lineup this year.

• The higher in the order a player bats, the more plate appearances he will get and the more opportunities he will get to hit the Over for every market. A player who hits higher in the order than he normally does may provide extra value opportunity since the market may be based on him hitting lower.

According to the leading projection system (THE BAT), the Los Angeles Angels' bullpen grades out as the 3rd-worst among all the teams in the game.

• Most bettors only consider the starting pitcher, but a weak bullpen sneakily creates an easier matchup for the opposing offense and boosts a game's runs.

Quick Takes Tampa Bay Rays:

Out of all the teams on the slate today, the 5th-best infield defense is that of the Tampa Bay Rays.

• Defense is an integral part of preventing hits and runs.

This season, there has been a decline in Amed Rosario's quickness with his Statcast Sprint Speed dropping from 29.42 ft/sec last year to 28.97 ft/sec currently.

• Slow players tend to get fewer hits because they can't beat out groundballs, fewer extra base hits, and fewer stolen bases.

Isaac Paredes pulls a lot of his flyballs (43.7% — 100th percentile) and has the good fortune of hitting them towards the game's 6th-shallowest LF fences in today's game.

• This player's skill set matches up particularly well with the park he's in today, which may lead to better-than-usual performance.

Angels vs Rays Prediction: Angels 3.87 - Rays 4.39

For more on today's game check out the comprehensive statistics, betting odds, and trends below. Be sure to check out all our free MLB picks here.