Rangers vs Angels Picks and Predictions: Late-Season Surge for Halos?

It’s been a long season for both the Texas Rangers (66-89) and Los Angeles Angels (70-86). The two AL West teams have struggled in 2022, but there’s still baseball to be played and therefore still baseball to bet on.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but it’s another lost year for Mike Trout, one of the MLB’s all-time greats. Shohei Ohtani won’t be appearing in the playoffs, either, as baseball fans will miss out on two of the sport’s best. Can we take advantage while they’re still around? 

Check out my MLB picks and predictions for the Texas Rangers vs. Los Angeles Angels on Friday, September 30.

Rangers vs Angels best odds

Rangers vs Angels picks and predictions

These two teams are floundering this season, so it might seem odd to take an Over in a late-season game between two sides that won’t make the playoffs. That’s where my handicap leads me, however, as I think both sides have reason to expect offensive success. 

First off, neither starting pitcher is exactly lighting the world on fire this season. Glenn Otto has a 20.9 xERA, 5.22 FIP, and 5.6% barrel rate, which are all negative indicators. Reid Detmers has been more effective this season, but his 4.15 xERA isn’t impeccable and his 5.2% barrel rate indicates that he, too, allows some hard contact.

Let’s start with Otto. In his last start against the Angels on July 30, he allowed four earned runs across five innings on four hits and three walks, which should come as no surprise from someone with a high 1.34 WHIP on the year. His 11% walk rate is far too much for someone who doesn’t strike out batters (17.7% strikeout rate) often and allows hard contact. I really don’t like his profile, as even his .252 BABIP seems unsustainably low. 

The Angels still have some thump in the lineup with two elite superstars in Trout and Ohtani. They’ve been pretty good as of late, ranking 11th in wOBA and 10th in wRC+ in the month of September. 

Detmers has been fine this season, but he’s allowed 13 earned runs across his last four starts and isn’t in his best form. The Rangers hit lefties well, ranking ninth in wOBA and sixth in wRC+ against southpaws this season. Those numbers are good for any team, regardless of the situation, but it’s especially meaningful for a struggling Rangers squad. Texas may not have done much well this season, but it certainly can hit left-handed pitching.

Both offenses could find success here, so give me the Over.

My best bet: Over 7.5 (-112 at BetRivers)

Rangers vs Angels moneyline analysis

The Angels opened as a -155 favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook but were quickly bet up to -170. The comeback on the Rangers is +145 at current. Detmers has a better profile than Otto (who doesn’t!), and the lefty’s 3.38 ERA at home is a positive sign. 

The Rangers have really bottomed out as the season winds down, going 8-21 over their last 29 games overall. They haven’t been able to take care of business against bad competition, either, going just 1-5 in their last six road games against teams with a losing record. 

For all the negativity surrounding the Angels, they really haven’t been too bad as of late. They’re 5-1 in their last six home games and have thrived in series openers, winning four straight Game 1s. 

The one big positive in the Rangers’ favor is that they hit lefties well, and they’ve plated multiple runs in their first two outings against Detmers before being held to one run while striking out 12 times in the most recent matchup on July 31.

Rangers vs Angels Over/Under analysis

Texas has played to the Over when facing poor competition, going 23-11 in its last 34 road games against a team with a losing record. That trend has continued as of late, cashing in five of the last six such occurrences. 

Being divisional opponents, these two ballclubs face off quite frequently, so there’s a sizable chunk of data to review between these two teams in 2022. The Over has been on fire lately, going 11-4-3 in the last 18 meetings.

Detmers is the better pitcher in this matchup, but he’s going against a team that’s only real strength is hitting lefties well. Otto has one of the most concerning profiles I’ve handicapped this season, as he doesn’t strike people out, issues too many walks, allows hard contact, and relies on batted ball luck. He’s facing the better lineup here in an Angels squad that’s performed like a borderline Top-10 unit in September. Therefore, both sides could have success in this spot. 

For as bad as the Rangers have been this season, it’s not like the lineup is dreadful. There’s still talent there (Marcus Semien, Nate Lowe, Corey Seager — if he plays) and they rank 21st in wOBA and 22nd in wRC+ this month, which isn’t great but also isn’t entirely without a pulse!

Rangers vs Angels trend to know

The Over is 11-4-3 in the last 18 meetings between these two teams. Find more MLB betting trends for Rangers vs. Angels

Rangers vs Angels game info

Starting pitchers

Glenn Otto (6-9, 4.73 ERA): Otto has the concerning profile of a pitcher that doesn’t strike out enough batters (17.7%) while issuing far too many walks (11%). If that weren’t enough, his 5.6% barrel rate indicates that he’s allowing too much hard contact. Otto’s 5.09 xERA and 5.22 FIP are both concerning signals. 

Reid Detmers (6-6, 3.88 ERA): Detmers has allowed exactly four earned runs in three of his last four appearances. He’s pitched against the Rangers three times this season, swallowing a total of nine earned runs. He has a 21.9% strikeout rate and an 8.7% walk rate. 

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