Angels vs Rangers Odds & Prediction: Los Angeles Favored As Ohtani Starts

The Los Angeles Angels (3-3) visit the Texas Rangers (1-4) on Thursday at Globe Life Field in the first matchup of a four-game set. The Angels are coming off a two-game sweep of the Miami Marlins while the Rangers dropped their last two contests to the Colorado Rockies. Can Los Angeles take advantage of a slow-starting Texas team? Find out in our Angels vs Rangers prediction.

Angels vs Rangers Odds & Analysis

Sportsbook Odds

The Angels opened as the road favorites at -141 on the moneyline while the Rangers are getting +105 as the underdog. The total is set at 9 runs with the UNDER going 5-1 in Los Angeles’ last six games and 6-3 in the last nine meetings between the teams. With Shohei Ohtani set to take the mound for Los Angeles, the UNDER looks like an easy choice for your Angels vs Rangers prediction.

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Starting Pitchers

Dane Dunning will get the call for the Rangers in his second start of the season. The right-hander threw five innings against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 9, giving up three runs on five hits while taking a no-decision. Dunning posted a 5-10 record with a 4.51 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP over 27 appearances last season.

Ohtani, the reigning American League MVP, takes the mound for the Angels on Thursday. He threw 4.2 innings in his first start of the season against the Houston Astros on April 7, giving up four hits and one earned run while fanning nine. Ohtani went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP through 23 starts in 2021.

Angels Beat Marlins Thanks To Walk-Off Grounder

The Angels eked out a 4-3 win over the Marlins on Tuesday courtesy of a walk-off grounder from Max Stassi. Starting pitcher Patrick Sandoval pitched four scoreless innings while reliever Raisel Iglesias, who came in for the ninth, earned the win.

Both Ohtani and Mike Trout have had slow starts to the season at the plate, batting .200 and .160, respectively, while driving in just one run between them – a solo home run from Trout. The Angels will be content to be sitting at .500 so far with their two top hitters still yet to really find their rhythm.

David Fletcher (hip) and Taylor Ward (groin) are both on the 10-day injured list.

Pitching Lets Rangers Down Again In Loss To Rockies

The Rangers dropped their second straight game to the Rockies on Tuesday, losing 4-1. Andy Ibanez knocked in the lone run for Texas – an RBI single in the second inning – while the Rangers mustered just four hits in the game. Martin Perez threw four innings and gave up three earned runs on seven hits in his first game back with Texas.

Texas has quickly fallen to last place in the AL West, with only one other team in the American League also owning a single win: the Baltimore Orioles (1-5). Pitching has been the Rangers’ undoing so far as they’ve given up an average of six runs and 9.8 hits per game – both ranking as the third-worst marks in the majors.

Angels vs Rangers Pick & Insights

Angels: Keys To Victory

Los Angeles can rest easy knowing that Ohtani will likely limit Texas to a couple of runs at most, so they’ll just need the bats to get going. The Angels are averaging just 3.33 runs per game, but that’s without much help from Ohtani or Trout. If one of them wakes up, Los Angeles should take the game easily.

Rangers: Keys To Victory

Texas will need a strong start from Dunning, who could feasibly get it done against a Los Angeles squad that has struggled offensively thus far. If the Rangers can hold the Angels to four or five runs while getting Ohtani out of the game as early as possible, Texas could get out of its funk.

Odds Shark’s Computer Angels vs Rangers Prediction: Angels -140