Los Angeles Angels vs Texas Rangers Prediction, Odds & Picks – 9/8/2024

• Date: September 8, 2024
• Venue: Globe Life Field
• Starting Pitchers:
  • Caden Dana - Angels
  • Andrew Heaney - Rangers

Betting Odds

Los Angeles Angels vs Texas Rangers Win Probabilities

Implied Win % in sports betting represent the probability of an outcome as suggested by the betting odds. It's a way for bettors to gauge the likelihood of an event occurring based on the odds offered by sportsbooks.

Projected Win %, also known as projected win probability, is an estimate by ATS.io to determine the likelihood that a team will win a game or event. This projection is often based on various factors such as team performance, statistics, and historical data.

Los Angeles Angels vs Texas Rangers Betting Preview

As the Texas Rangers prepare to host the Los Angeles Angels on September 8, 2024, both teams are looking to find some rhythm after lackluster seasons. The Rangers sit at 69-74, while the Angels are struggling at 59-83. The matchup is particularly noteworthy because Andrew Heaney, projected to start for the Rangers, had a rough outing in his last start, where he allowed multiple earned runs, continuing to showcase his below-average form, evidenced by his 4-13 record this year.

Heaney's 3.81 ERA indicates some competence, but the projections indicate he may struggle, as he is expected to pitch around 4.9 innings and allow 2.3 earned runs today. His counterpart, Caden Dana, makes his second start of the season after a promising debut that resulted in a win. Dana's ERA sits at an impressive 3.00, but his xFIP suggests he may not maintain that excellence moving forward, as he projects to allow 2.8 earned runs over roughly 5.2 innings today.

Both offenses have been underwhelming this season, with the Rangers ranked 23rd and the Angels 26th in overall performance. However, the Rangers' recent play has featured standout performances from Josh Jung, who has excelled over the past week, recording 12 hits and 5 RBIs. Meanwhile, Taylor Ward has been the bright spot for the Angels, contributing significantly despite their overall struggles.

With a Game Total set at 8.5 runs and the Rangers entering as solid favorites with a moneyline of -170, the Rangers are projected to score a robust 4.77 runs. This matchup represents a pivotal moment for both teams as they look to assert themselves amid disappointing seasons.

Quick Takes Los Angeles Angels:

The Los Angeles Angels infield defense grades out as the 3rd-worst out of all the teams on the slate today.

• Defense is an integral part of preventing (or, in this case, allowing) hits and runs.

Logan O'Hoppe has been hot in recent games, raising his seasonal exit velocity of 90.3-mph to 96.8-mph over the last 14 days.

• Hitting the ball hard increases the chances of either a home run or the ball landing in fair territory for a hit before a fielder can get to it.

Brandon Drury hits a high percentage of his flyballs to center field (38.1% — 78th percentile) and has the misfortune of hitting them in the direction of the game's 6th-deepest CF fences in today's matchup.

• This player's skill set does not match up particularly well with the park he's in today, which may lead to worse-than-usual performance.

Quick Takes Texas Rangers:

Considering both his underlying tendencies and the matchup, Andrew Heaney is projected to throw 85 pitches today by the leading projection system (THE BAT X) system, which is the 12th-least on the slate.

• Pitchers who throw relatively few pitches are more likely to get pulled from the game earlier, record fewer outs, and generate fewer strikeouts.

Extreme groundball bats like Marcus Semien are generally less successful against extreme groundball pitchers like Caden Dana.

• This mostly has to do with the way the hitter's swing plane interacts with the pitch trajectory, and it can create diminished performance across all categories and hidden value few are considering.

The Texas Rangers have been the 4th-unluckiest offense in the majors this year, according to the leading projection system (THE BAT X), and are likely to hit better in future games

• When teams underperform their projected talent level, markets may undervalue them even while they are likely to perform better in the near future.

Game Trends

• The Texas Rangers have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total Under in 21 of their last 27 games (+14.95 Units / 45% ROI)
• The Los Angeles Angels have hit the Game Total Under in 48 of their last 89 games (+7.75 Units / 8% ROI)
• Carson Kelly has hit the Runs Under in his last 13 games (+13.00 Units / 48% ROI)

Los Angeles Angels vs Texas Rangers Prediction

Final Score: Los Angeles Angels 3.69 vs Texas Rangers 4.55

Visit the MLB picks and predictions section for the rest of today's games.