Los Angeles Angels vs. Tampa Bay Rays August 25 Betting Preview

The Los Angeles Angels and Tampa Bay Rays played an extra-inning affair on Wednesday night, with the Rays coming back late to claim that contest.

On Thursday, they face off again in an afternoon matchup where the Angels look to break a long losing streak while the Rays look to keep their win streak going. In an afternoon game following an extra-inning night game, this game could be a test of endurance above all else.

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Los Angeles Angels

Last night, the Los Angeles Angels held the lead multiple times against the Tampa Bay Rays and looked like they would snap their four-game losing streak.

Instead, they squandered a night where Mike Trout hit a home run and drove in a second run, relinquishing those leads to lose in 11 innings. Now, the Angels are tasked with bouncing back on a very tight turnaround if they want to avoid a sixth straight loss.

Patrick Sandoval will take the mound for the Angels on Thursday afternoon, as Sandoval has been a victim of the issues with the Angels throughout this season.

He comes into this game with a 4-8 record, which would make him look incompetent. But he has an ERA of 3.14 and has actually done a decent job of keeping his team in positions to win games, even if they have failed to do so.

Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays put forth a vintage Rays performance on Wednesday night, coming back from multiple deficits to beat the Angels in extra innings.

That was their fifth win in a row, as the Rays have not only solidified themselves as a Wild Card team but have started cutting into the Yankees' lead at the top of the American League East. Here, the Rays are heavy favorites to pick up a sixth straight victory.

Drew Rasmussen has starting pitching duties for the Rays in this contest, which has meant good things for Tampa this year. Rasmussen is 8-4 on the season with a 2.82 ERA and is superior to his starting pitching counterpart in most statistical categories in 2022. As long as Rasmussen goes out and pitches his best in this contest, the Rays will be expected to get the job done here.

Keys To The Game

The biggest key to this game will be the lineups for each team, given what both teams had to endure last night. We could see lineup changes on both sides based on the typical day game after a night game environment, with the extra innings played only exacerbating that. We will see how the early start on Thursday impacts both teams.

On the Rays' side, continuing to not take things for granted will also be a key to this game. Tampa Bay is so good at treating every game and every opponent like a big game, and they will need to continue to do so in order to come out firing here. If they can do that, a sixth straight win should be easily obtainable.