Angels vs Rangers Predictions, Picks, Odds: Ohtani and Eovaldi Get the Job Done

The best matchup on the MLB board for Thursday takes place tonight at Globe Life Field when Nathan Eovaldi and the Texas Rangers host Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels in an American League West Division showdown.

The Rangers lead the division with a 42-25 record — 5.5 games ahead of the Angels who sit in third place — but it was the Halos who took the first two games of this four-game set before Texas responded with a win last night.

Can Ohtani secure a series win for L.A., or will Eovaldi help his team earn a split? Maybe, just maybe, both of these stud starters dominate and take down tonight’s total.

I'll break down the MLB odds and bring you the best bet in my MLB picks and predictions for the Angels vs. Rangers.

Angels vs Rangers odds

Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account

Angels vs Rangers predictions

I will die on this hill if I must. Shohei Ohtani is the greatest baseball player in the history of the game. Show me someone else who can strike out 12.1 batters per nine innings, with a fastball that averages more than 97 miles per hour, and can also do this:

Shohei Ohtani hits one to the second deck. ????

(via @BallySportWest)pic.twitter.com/3KNK9t1Scc

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 15, 2023

That’s a second deck oppo taco bomb. 

Tonight, Ohtani will be firing the bombs from the mound. Now, a bit of a rough patch for the hurler has the Los Angeles Angels rethinking how they will manage his starts for the rest of the season... but numbers are still fantastic overall.

The Angels' two-way star is pitching to a 3.35 expected ERA while limiting opponents to a crazy low .189 expected batting average. And I already mentioned the strikeouts. His K-rate is at a staggering 33.3% which is in the 94th percentile in MLB.

Now, the Texas Rangers obviously boast a dangerous lineup. However, Ohtani is so hard to barrel up, with at least five pitches he uses regularly — highlighted by his electric fastball and a devastating sweeper.

Ohtani has recorded a quality start in four of his last five starts vs. Texas dating back to 2021, allowing two earned runs or fewer in those quality starts while racking up nearly 1.3 strikeouts per inning. 

Countering Ohtani is newly minted Rangers ace Nathan Eovaldi. The RHP has been everything the Rangers could have hoped for and more since signing with the team this offseason. And that has been needed more than ever with Jacob deGrom now out for the season.

Eovaldi is pitching to a 2.95 xERA and limiting opponents to a .225 xBA. Despite seemingly being around forever, the right hander still has gas in the tank, with his fastball still averaging 95 miles per hour. But the success has mostly come from his command. He is painting both sides of the plate this season and is in the Top 9% in walk rate.

The Angels also have a respectable lineup, but Eovaldi hasn’t given up a run against them since 2021. To be fair it’s only two starts, but one includes shutting L.A. out over eight innings on just five hits back on May 6.

It may be a silly old adage, but good pitching beats good hitting. Pitching will be the story early and I’m betting the five-inning Under.

My best bet: Under 4.5 first five innings (-120 at bet365)

Angels vs Rangers same-game parlay

Under 8.5

Ohtani Under 18.5 outs

Trout Under 0.5 hits

+625 at bet365

Pitching will be the theme for the same-game parlay as well. Now, lots of books don’t allow five-inning totals to be included in SGPs, so instead, I’m going to buy a half-run for the full-game total and start this one off with an Under 8.5.

Now, while Shohei has been one of the toughest pitchers to hit in baseball, the Angels are concerned about his workload and may start giving him a little extra time between starts. So, I’m not sure if they will be pushing him ultra-hard in June. Also, one of Ohtani’s few blemishes is his walk rate which sits in the Bottom 19% of the MLB... causing him to build up pitches quickly. 

He’s pitched more than six innings just four times in his 13 starts this season and six solid innings would work just fine for our best bet, so let’s add Under 18.5 outs for Ohtani as well.

And finally, let’s pick on Mike Trout a bit. The former MVP is in an ugly slump right now. He’s hitting just .122 with a .510 OPS and has struck out in nearly 30% of his plate appearances in the month of June. He’s also had issues with Eovaldi. He is 7-21 against him but just a mediocre .244 expected batting average. He has a hit in just five of 12 games this month. This matchup vs. Eovaldi is not the one to get back on track. I’m adding Under 0.5 hits.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Angels vs Rangers moneyline and Over/Under analysis

The line for this AL West matchup has been an interesting one. The Rangers opened this game as -120 home favorites and were bets as high as -135 before coming back down to the opening number. 

The Angels looked like an interesting bet when they were getting plus money with Ohtani on the mound. But at closer to even money I’m staying away. Texas has a slight edge in bullpens ranking fifth in xFIP compared to the Angels' 10th.

When it comes to the total it opened at 8.5 and has bumped down to an even 8.0, which is why I prefer the five-inning total at 4.5. 

Trend to know

The Angels are 6-1 in their last seven games vs. a right-handed starter. Find more MLB betting trends for Angels vs. Rangers

Angels vs Rangers game info

Starting pitchers

Shohei Ohtani (5-2, 3.43 ERA): With his fastball-sweeper combo, Ohtani has become arguably the toughest pitcher to square up in baseball. He's striking out 12.1 batters per nine innings and is limiting opponents to a .179 batting average.

Nathan Eovaldi (9-2, 2.49 ERA): Eovaldi has been as reliable as they come. He's pitched 6-plus innings nine times in his last 10 starts, holding opponents to two earned runs or fewer seven times over that stretch.

Latest injuries

Weather

Pages related to this topic