Rays, Twins American League Best Bets for August 22

There are multiple games today beginning this afternoon on the American League schedule, and there’s value to target. Below, you can find our American League best bets on the FanDuel Sportsbook.Los Angeles Angels (+180) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (-215) Total: 7 (O-122, U+100)

The Los Angeles Angels and Tampa Bay Rays will kick off a four-game series tonight from Tropicana Field. Over the weekend, the Angels lost two-of-three games to the Detroit Tigers, while the Rays won three-of-four games against the Kansas City Royals.

Entering this matchup, the Rays currently sit in a tie with the Toronto Blue Jays for the top wild-card position in the American League, while the Angels are 17-games below .500. Over their past ten games, Tampa posted a 7-3 record, while the Angels are 4-6.

The Rays should have an advantage in this series, owning an outstanding 38-23 home record, compared to the Angels sitting at 26-33 as the visitors. This should be a positive for a Rays team that needs to pick up as many victories as possible against lesser competition down the stretch in a very tight wild card race. 

Pitching has again been a strong suit for Tampa this year, while the same can’t be said for the Angels. That shouldn’t be a surprise, but the Rays hold a significant edge on the bump in this contest, which is expected to feature Tucker Davidson taking on Jeffrey Springs. The Angels lefty starter has a 2-3 record, along with a 6.75 ERA and 14 strikeouts, while Springs is 5-3 with a 2.52 ERA and 95 punchouts.

With the Rays at home and starting the more consistent pitcher, it’s not difficult to see why they’re listed as sizeable favorites on the moneyline tonight at -215. There isn’t value in that price, but there are other alternatives to consider.

With no value on the moneyline but holding a sizeable edge on the mound in this contest and simply being the better baseball team, there’s merit in looking towards TB on the run line. That number currently sits in plus-money territory at +114, and there’s definite value in those odds. 

Best Bet: Rays run line (+114)

Texas Rangers (+180) vs. Minnesota Twins (-215) Total: 8.5 (O-110, U-110)

The Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins are set to conclude a four-game series tonight from Target Field. During the weekend, the Rangers did a good job of playing spoiler, taking two-of-three games, allowing them a chance to win the series this evening.

Entering action tonight, the Twins sit just 1.5 games back of the Cleveland Guardians for the AL Central lead, despite not playing well in this series against the Rangers. Texas has quietly been playing some solid baseball of late and owns a 6-4 record over their past ten games, while Minny is 5-5 over that same sample size.

On paper, the Twins should’ve had the advantage in this series, but that’s why you play the games. The Twins are once again favored, sitting at -215 on the moneyline. 

Pitching certainly hasn’t been a significant strength for either of these two clubs, but the Twins should hold an edge in this series finale. The visiting Rangers are expected to send Cole Ragans to the mound, while Minnesota counters with Sonny Gray. The Rangers left-hander owns a 0-2 record with a 5.02 ERA and seven strikeouts, while Gray is 7-3 with a 3.11 ERA and 89 punchouts. With the small sample size of Ragans experience and Gray’s effectiveness this year, the Twins should be in a favorable position to end this series with a split. 

With how tightly contested things are in the AL Central and three teams competing for the division crown, the Twins need to take advantage of these matchups where they have an advantage. With that, there’s no value in them on the moneyline in this matchup. With how good Gray has looked this year, there’s some merit in their run line odds of +100 tonight. 

Best Bet: Twins run line (+100)