Maybe a team with Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout on the roster actually can win. The Los Angeles Angels duo has collected four American League MVP awards over the past eight seasons. But with that hardware has come only one postseason appearance and no playoff victories.
That could finally change this season, as the Angels have the early lead in the AL West.
Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays are right in the mix as usual, two games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East.
Props.com breaks down Rays vs Angels odds for Monday’s opener of a three-game series in the shadows of Disneyland.
Odds via WynnBet as of 6 p.m. ET on May 9.
Tampa Bay Rays (18-11) vs Los Angeles Angels (19-11)
First pitch/TV: 9:38 p.m. ET/MLB.TV
Moneyline: Angels -128/Rays +118
Run Line: Angels -1.5 (+152)/Rays +1.5 (-185)
Total: 7.5 (Over -120/Under +100)
Pitching matchup: LHP Jeffrey Springs (1-0, 0.69 ERA, 0.77 WHIP) vs RHP Noah Syndergaard (2-1, 2.63 ERA, 0.96 WHIP)
Season series: First meeting. Tampa Bay went 6-1 against the Angels in 2021, winning all four games in Los Angeles.
Did you know: The Angels have not won the season series against the Rays since 2014. In the seven ensuing seasons, Tampa Bay is 27-14 against Los Angeles, shockingly winning 16 of the last 20 clashes in Anaheim.
About the Rays
Hits & Misses: Tampa Bay’s season-high six-game winning streak ended in Sunday’s 2-1 loss at Seattle in 10 innings. The defeat also snapped the Rays’ eight-game road winning streak. OF Manuel Margot helped the Rays take three of four from Seattle, going 5-for-11 with three home runs, including a grand slam, and eight RBIs. Those were Margot’s first longballs in what has been a great season so far, as he’s batting .325 average with 20 RBIs. The Rays are 5-1-2 to the Over in their past eight.
Springs vs Angels: Normally a reliever, Springs is slated to get the nod as the Rays’ “opener” on Monday night. It will be left-hander’s 10th appearance this season but only his second start. Springs’ workload has slowly increased, and his last appearance was his longest of the season (3.1 innings against Oakland). In his only start, Springs went 2.2 innings against Seattle on April 28. He allowed one run on three hits with three strikeouts and no walks, helping Tampa to a 2-1 home win. Manager Kevin Cash said he’s hoping to get four innings out of Springs against the Angels.
Key injuries: None. 1B Ji-Man Choi returned to the lineup Sunday after missing time with an elbow injury.
About the Angels
Hits & Misses: The Angels have won four of five and lead the AL West by a half-game over the Houston Astros. They also have the second-best run differential in the AL (+27), trailing only the Yankees (+48). Trout, the three-time MVP, is doing his usual damage at the plate, hitting .307/.430/.625 with six home runs and 13 RBIs. Ohtani, the defending MVP, is off to a slow start, batting .235/.302/.383 with four homers and 16 RBIs. RF Taylor Ward is having a breakout early season, batting .364 with six homers, 20 runs, 15 RBI and an MLB-best 1.165 OPS. The Angels are 15-11-3 to the Under this season, including 8-4-1 in their past 13.
Syndergaard vs Rays: The Angels’ gamble on “Thor” has paid off so far. The oft-injured former New York Mets All-Star signed a one-year, $21 million deal with Los Angeles after pitching only two innings over the past two seasons. But he enters Monday with a 2.63 ERA through four starts. Syndergaard has not allowed more than three runs in an outing, though he took his first loss Tuesday in Boston. He yielded three runs and a season-high eight hits in a 4-0 defeat. While his strikeout numbers are down (14 in 24 innings), Syndergaard has lasted at least 5 1/3 innings in every outing. Prior to a 100-pitch effort against the Red Sox, he hadn’t thrown more than 88 pitches in any outing. In his lone career start against the Rays back in 2015, Syndergaard allowed five runs in four innings.
Key injuries: SS David Fletcher (left hip strain) is back on the injured list and might require surgery. Backup C Kurt Suzuki (undisclosed) was placed on the injured list Saturday.
Notable Trends
- TB is on runs of 9-3 overall, 8-1 on the road and 8-1 vs. the AL West
- LAA is 7-1 in its last eight at home
- LAA is 9-2 in its last 11 as a favorite
- Under is 9-3-2 in LAA’s last 14 at home
- TB is 20-6 in its last 26 games vs. LAA
- TB is 32-11 in the last 43 series meetings at LAA
- Over is 9-3-1 in the last 13 Rays-Angel clashes
- TB is on runs of 27-14 overall and 16-4 on the road against LAA
Rays vs Angels Odds and Action
UPDATE 6 P.M. ET: WynnBet installed the Angels as a -125 favorite overnight, with the Rays at +115. The moneyline has ticked up slightly to the current price of Los Angeles -128/Tampa Bay +118, with 64% of the tickets and 81% of the money on the Halos. The total has adjusted from an opener of 7.5 flat to 7.5/Over -120, with two-way action to the tune of 61% wagers on the Over and 76% money on the Under.
UPDATE 2:30 P.M. ET: The Angels hit PointsBet USA’s oddsboard as a -120 favorite very early this morning. The moneyline has since ticked up to -130 and -135 and now sits at -136, with the Rays at +115. The total is sitting at 7.5/Over -120 after opening 7.5/Over -115.
Check back prior to first pitch for updates on Rays vs Angels odds and action.