In a divisional game that will mean little for MLB playoff standings, the Los Angeles Angels head down to Arlington to face the hard-hitting Texas Rangers to kick off a four-game series. The Angels have won three straight and are 7-2 SU in their last nine. They’ll lean on reliever-turned-starter Taylor Cole, who will be making his first-inning debut and owns a 2.95 ERA over 18 innings of work. The Angels opened as +120 dogs to win their fourth game in a row.
- The Angels are 5-1 SU and ATS in their last six games vs the Rangers.
- The Rangers rank 1st in OPS since the all-star break.
- The UNDER has hit in the last 4 games in this matchup.
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No Edge in the Pitching Matchup
From a bettors’ perspective, trying to figure out how to cap this game is like pulling teeth. The Angels are the latest team to go with the new trend of employing a reliever as a starter as Taylor Cole comes out of the bullpen to give the first inning a shot. Cole got roughed up in his last appearance vs the Athletics, allowing three runs on three hits in 1.1 innings of work. His ERA is microscopic when he pitches on the road at 0.93 over 9.2 innings but, again, that was in a bullpen role.
In the Rangers dugout, they’ll turn to Ariel Jurado, who will be making his fifth start of his career. The Rangers have gone 2-2 SU in his four starts in 2018 and in his lone start at home this season, he was solid vs the Orioles, limiting them to two runs off six hits. However, in his most recent outing at Yankee Stadium, he got torched for six earned runs and four homers. Not exactly inspiring numbers for bettors looking to get an edge in this matchup.
Rangers Offense has Been Rolling since the Break
While the pitchers’ performances may be difficult to project, the batting order for the Rangers has been getting it done since the break. The Rangers rank first in runs, second in hits, second in homers, first in RBIs, fifth in batting average and first in OPS since mid-July. Joey Gallo and Rougned Odor have been crushing the ball with a combined 17 homers and 42 RBIs since July 20 and being able to face a pitcher who is still wet behind the ears should have the Rangers lineup salivating.
Is another UNDER in store?
The total opened at 11 in this matchup and trends are pointing to an UNDER. The UNDER has hit in the last four games in this matchup with an average combined score of 6.1 runs per game. While Jurado has had his share of ups and downs, it’s worth noting that the average combined score in his four starts this season is 10.2 runs per game, which means it may still be a high-scoring game but may not surpass the set total of 11.
