Los Angeles Angels vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction, 9/21/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Los Angeles Angels vs Tampa Bay Rays

Date: Thursday, September 21, 2023

Location: Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL

TV: Bally Sports Sun

Odds/Point Spread: Los Angeles (+185) Tampa Bay (-225)

Tropicana Field is where the Tampa Bay Rays (93-59) will try to beat the Los Angeles Angels (68-83) on Thursday. The moneyline on this contest has Los Angeles at +185 and Tampa Bay is sitting at -225. The total is set at 7. The expected starting pitchers will be Griffin Canning and Zach Eflin.

Los Angeles has a slugging percentage of .428 and have struck out 1,411 times, while drawing a walk on 492 occasions. They have accrued 666 RBI's in addition to 1,254 base knocks on the campaign, while their batting average is .245. The Angels have accumulated 233 doubles as a team and have hit 218 baseballs out of the park. They have accounted for 692 runs scored while holding a team on-base percentage of .317. As a squad, the Los Angeles Angels are knocking in 4.6 runs/g, which ranks them 15th in baseball.

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Their strikeout to walk ratio is 2.32 and the pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.42. Angels pitchers have given up 194 home runs in addition to 780 total runs (25th in baseball). Los Angeles has given up 1,308 hits (8.8 per 9 innings) as well as 695 earned runs. The Angels have compiled a team earned run average of 4.69 for the season (23rd in baseball), and the staff has struck out 1,356 hitters. They have walked 585 opposing batters and their FIP sits at 4.61 as a unit for the year.

The Angels have dispatched 458 relief pitchers to the mound over the course of the season. The relief pitchers have inherited 188 base runners on the year and 44.1% of those runners earned a run for their team. They have accumulated 42 saves this season and have not converted 26 of their 68 save opportunities. The Angels relief pitchers have a save rate of 61.8% and stepped onto the hill in 160 save situations. The relievers have racked up 90 holds on the year (8th in MLB). Angels relief pitchers have entered the game with opponents on base 120 times in addition to having 158 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Los Angeles Angels have 4,005 putouts on the year, as well as 1,205 assists and 89 errors. Their fielding rate is holding at .983 which has them sitting 26th in the majors, and have a total of 115 double plays. The Angels have turned 68.0% of balls in play into outs out of their 12,015 innings on the diamond, which has them sitting 25th in pro baseball.

Canning has taken the hill for 325 frames and has tallied 341 strikeouts during his career. Canning (19-20 career win-loss record) has a FIP of 4.56 and he has gone up against 1,388 hitters in the majors. His ERA is 4.62 (167 ER's allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.303. He has surrendered 312 hits (8.6 hits per 9 innings) and has 112 free passes.

The Rays have a team SLG% of .444 and they score 5.27 runs per contest (4th in the league). They have recorded 260 two-baggers, while walking 484 times and scoring 801 runs. Tampa Bay has tallied 217 HRs for the season as well as 769 runs batted in. They have been called out on strikes on 1,330 instances (11th in baseball) and have earned 1,322 base hits. The Tampa Bay Rays have recorded a team OBP of .330 in addition to a team batting average of .257 so far this year.

The Tampa Bay pitching staff have surrendered 601 runs so far this year and come in with a team ERA of 3.76 (565 earned runs yielded). They have given up 163 long balls and they concede 4.00 runs per 9 innings (1st in the league). The Rays hold a team WHIP of 1.161 and are the owners of a FIP of 3.78 as a unit on the campaign. Their strikeout to walk ratio comes in at 9.30 (1,398 strikeouts against 409 bases on balls). They are currently ranked 2nd in MLB as a staff in total hits given up with 1,160.

Tampa Bay bullpen pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 27.2% of 169 inherited runners. Their bullpen pitchers have come in 153 times in high leverage situations and also on 114 occasions with runners on base. With 149 save situations, the Rays have compiled 74 holds and also 30 blown saves. They sit at 21st in MLB with a save percentage of 59.5%, and they have sent 497 bullpen pitchers to the hill so far this season. Tampa Bay has had relievers take the mound in 74 save chances and they have earned 44 saves.

The Tampa Bay Rays have gotten 110 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .988 (5th in the majors). The Rays have racked up 1,321 assists, 63 errors and have a total of 4,056 putouts for the year. In 12,168 innings on the field, the Rays are sitting with a defensive efficiency of 70.8% (2nd in MLB).

Eflin (51-53 career win-loss mark) holds a 4.28 ERA while conceding 9.2 hits per 9 innings. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.96 and he has faced 3,466 hitters during his career. He has allowed 393 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.238 and a FIP of 4.1. So far in his pro baseball career, Eflin has given up 841 hits while totaling 724 strikeouts in 827 innings pitched.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Los Angeles (+185)

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