May 31 '26, 1:40 PM in 5h

MLB | Angels vs Rays

Play on: Rays -182 at Ace

My selection is on Tampa Bay over Los Angeles at 1:40 pm et on Sunday.

The Rays have been quietly heating up at the plate but you wouldn't know it by yesterday's game as they were drilled by the Angels in the middle game of this series. I fully expect Tampa Bay to bounce back on Sunday as it sends left-hander Shane McClanahan to the hill against struggling Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz. Kochanowicz's numbers over his last four starts are gawdy to say the least. In fact, along with his awful recent metrics, he's also hit three batters and thrown three wild pitches over his last three starts, highlighting his recent lack of control. On the season he checks in sporting a 4.42 FIP and 1.39 WHIP and faces a Rays club that has climbed to 12th in the majors in xwOBA over the last week. Despite yesterday's outburst at the plate, the Angels sit 26th in that same category over the same stretch. Los Angeles will try to keep it rolling against McClanahan but figure to be in tough. He has returned from long-term injury by posting a 2.78 FIP and 1.04 WHIP through 10 starts, stirring memories of his first three seasons in which he finished seventh in A.L. Rookie of the Year voting and then was an All-Star twice and finished sixth in A.L. Cy Young Award voting in 2022. Current Halos hitters are just 3-for-17 with three singles and nine strikeouts against the left-hander. The bullpen matchup is a virtual wash on paper. It is worth noting that the Rays 'pen has been anything but overworked lately. They used a number of different relievers yesterday just to allow them to get some work in as many of them had been idle for a number of days. Take Tampa Bay (8*).