Baseball Betting Odds – Texas Rangers vs. Los Angeles Angels

The Texas Rangers will host their American League West rivals, the Los Angeles Angels, for a three-game series in Texas starting tonight.

With both teams quite evenly matched so far this season, this matchup provides great baseball betting odds in the Sportsbook.

Los Angeles Angels (10-5) at Texas Rangers (10-5)

Monday, April 18 at 8:05 PM ET
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Arlington, Texas
TV: FSW, FSH

Baseball Betting Odds: Los Angeles +1.5, Texas -1.5, Game Total: 9 runs

The equal season records of 10-5 can be misleading coming into Monday night’s game in Arlington.  Although Texas started off the hottest team in baseball, the Rangers have dropped four of their last five.  All of the teams losses on the season have been on the road, with all but one loss coming after Josh Hamilton was sent to the injured list with a broken arm.

Texas has a chance to turn things around and claim their seventh consecutive home victory to start the season tonight, a feat that would be a first in franchise history. But standing in the Rangers way is a tough Angels team that just took three games from the Chicago White Sox on the road this past weekend.

Looking for their sixth win in a row, Los Angeles relies on its stellar starting rotation to get more victories in Texas.  With a team average ERA of 1.98 on the season, the Angels will send veteran Erwin Santana to the stripe tonight.

MLB Pitching Matchup:

LAA E. Santana (0-1, ERA 3.74) vs. TEX C. Wilson (1-0, ERA 3.72)

In his three starts this season, Santana has allowed three runs in each. Also, Santana was successful against the Rangers in 2010, going 3-1 with an ERA of 3.38.

However, Michael Young could be his nemesis tonight.  Young is hot in 2011, on an eight-game hitting streak and batting .522 in his last six games.  Against Santana, Young hits .377 all-time and will be a key factor in the Rangers lineup tonight.

Texas sends CJ Wilson to the mound.  In his below-average last outing in Detroit, Wilson allowed four runs in just over six innings of play. Wilson went 2-1 against the Angels last season, throwing for an average ERA of 3.72 over the three starts.

In a matchup of teams with a budding rivalry, the MLB Sportsbook lists Rangers as the favorite, with the game total set at nine runs.

Although Texas won the American League pennant last season, the Angels were the victors for the three prior consecutive seasons, pitting these two teams as the front-runners for the American League West division title this season.

With the Rangers back on their home turf after a tough showing on the road, expect the Rangers to regroup and claim their seventh consecutive home win tonight over the Angels.

Baseball Betting Free Pick – Take the Rangers -1.5