Rangers vs. Angels prediction: MLB odds, picks, best bets Friday

The Rangers became the first team to miss the playoffs following a World Series title since the 2006 White Sox.

If there’s any excitement to be salvaged in the final series of a disappointing season, it’s the return of Jacob DeGrom after a year-and-a-half hiatus to Tommy John surgery.

His return came a couple of months later than the Rangers had anticipated, but it’s encouraging to have the ace, who’s been bedeviled with injuries, back at all considering everything that has transpired.

DeGrom will take the mound against the Angels on Friday night in Anaheim for his third start of the season. He’ll be facing a club that just dropped three straight to the worst team in baseball — maybe baseball history.

Rangers vs. Angels odds

Rangers vs. Angels prediction

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy has used DeGrom sparingly in both the pitcher’s previous starts, restricting him to around 60 pitches. And the two-time Cy Young Award winner showed no regression.

He struck out four and five batters, respectively, while allowing one total earned run in the limited action.

DeGrom’s fastball velocity is in the territory of 97 mph, which, while a slight drop-off from where he was in 2022, still remains in the top six percent of pitchers, according to Statcast. 

Opposing DeGrom will be Reid Detmers for Los Angeles in what will be his final start of an agonizing one-year contract. He’s given away bases on lots of batted balls, which has jacked his ERA up to 6.67.

While the lack of sound roster construction in the Angels organization has hindered everyone on the pitching staff this season, Detmers’ velocity and spin rates have declined on his primary pitches.

He’s bouncing off back-to-back losses, including one to the White Sox, which if you have been following baseball this year, is difficult to do (Chicago has won three straight games — all against the Angels — since tying the 1962 Mets for the most losses in a single MLB season).

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There are questions within the organization about Detmers’ confidence and mental resilience after he was demoted to Triple-A for a few months earlier in the season. 

Despite both bullpens averaging in the bottom half of MLB, let’s look for DeGrom to take advantage and pace the Rangers off to another strong start while he looks for a token victory. 

Pick: Rangers run line -1.5 (+105, Caesars)