Rays vs Angels Predictions: MLB Odds, Expert Pick (Tuesday, April 9)

Credit must be given when it is due: the Los Angeles Angels are two games over .500 entering Tuesday night's matchup against the Tampa Bay Rays at Angel Stadium. It's hard to believe that after getting steamrolled in their opening series of the year, but they've shaken off the rust and have looked good lately.

As for the Rays, the same can't be said. They narrowly took a series against the Colorado Rockies on the road, then came out on Monday and looked remarkably flat at the dish while Mike Trout single-handedly punished their pitching staff.

Rays vs Angels odds for Tuesday, April 9, have the Rays listed as -122 favorites on the moneyline, with an over/under set at 8.5 total runs. The over/under is what I'm targeting for my Rays vs Angels prediction on Tuesday night, which features a starting pitching matchup between Aaron Civale and Patrick Sandoval.

With these clubs trending in opposite directions, how should you bet on this matchup? Let's dive into my Rays vs Angels MLB betting preview to find out.

Find my Rays vs Angels prediction below.

The Rays have been a model of consistency over the past few years as they've found their own brand of baseball. However, while they are a club that will do many of the little things well to help win games if they can't score, it doesn't matter how much they limit their opposition.

Overall, Tampa Bay's lineup is still above average with a collective wRC+ of 108, but the Rays' run production has been up and down because they are not making high-quality contact consistently.

They do not have one hitter in their order that has both an above-average exit velocity and an above-average hard-hit rate. They have four guys who can check one of those boxes, but that is an indicator of inconsistency.

Angels starter Patrick Sandoval has had two very different outings to begin the season. Sandoval was clobbered by Baltimore but then bounced back nicely against Miami, which hits lefties very well.

Sandoval should carry his momentum into his first home outing of the year, as he's faired well against the Rays in the past. In 64 combined plate appearances, Tampa Bay has hit just .250 off Sandoval with an average exit velocity of 87 mph.

With the majority of Sandoval's success coming against the few Rays hitters who are actually producing, it could be another quiet night for Tampa Bay at the plate.

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The Angels' lineup has been sneaky good through the first two weeks of the season. They get a ton of flack, as many have made this lineup out to be a one-man band with Mike Trout, but that is not the case.

The Angels are currently sixth in xWOBACON and that stems from ranking in the top 10 in both average exit velocity and hard-hit rate as a team. Aside from Trout, Los Angeles has gotten significant contributions from a resurgent Miguel Sano, a now healthy Logan O'Hoppe, and everyone's favorite post-hype sleeper, Taylor Ward.

However, the Angels' band of young guns and misfits will have to contend with Aaron Civale. Civale was a diamond in the rough during his time in Clevland but has shined since he dawned Rays colors.

Through two starts this season, Civale has an xERA of 1.91 and an xWOBA of .221. While it is a very small sample size, it's a testament to how much soft contact he generates as a fly-ball pitcher.

We should expect him to keep on rolling, as Angels Stadium will work in his favor.

The deeper you dive into this matchup, the more intriguing it becomes. However, both these starters stand out for having excellent matchups.

Look for both of them to deliver quality outings before handing the ball to their respective bullpens, each due for significant positive regression.

Take the under.

Pick: Under 8.5 (-110 | Play to -120)