In the middle contest of a three-game American League slate, the Kansas City Royals will continue a three-series West Coast swing against the Los Angeles Angels. The guests took home the first win of this set on Monday, never trailing.
The Royals (24-42) have won four of their last five – including that one – in response to a four-game skid. MLB standings have them dead last in the AL Central, 13 games behind division-leading Minnesota. Only Oakland has fewer wins at this juncture.
Los Angeles (33-37) entered Monday after winning four of five against Seattle. The Angels are striving to get back to a .500, having been 10 games above that mark before a losing slide sent them tumbling. They find themselves peering up at Houston in the AL West, as the Astros hold onto a 10-game advantage in the grouping.
The Angels would benefit from some better numbers at the plate, and someone will have to fill in after they lost third baseman Anthony Rendon to season-ending wrist surgery.
It should come as no surprise that center fielder Mike Trout is at the forefront of the offense. He has the second-most home runs (21) in the majors and leads everyone with a 1.038 OPS.
First baseman Jared Walsh is hitting .255 and Shohei Ohtani .252. They’re both trying to supplement Trout’s .290 batting average.
Royals vs. Angels Odds
MLB odds favor the home team here. Los Angeles is -1.5 on the run line at +112, while the Royals are -134 to cover the spread.
On the moneyline, the Angels are -184 and Kansas City a +154 underdog. The total has been set at nine runs, with the over being -110 and the under the same at the time of this writing.
MLB betting trends have Kansas City as being one of the least productive offenses in baseball. Their total runs, home runs, and RBIs all grade out among the league’s worst, and a .237 team batting average isn’t doing much to help that.
Left fielder Andrew Benintendi leads all regulars by hitting .298 and having an on-base percentage of .363. Catcher Salvador Perez has a team-high 11 dingers and 34 runs driven in.
Over the last week, first baseman Carlos Santana has four knocks in 13 tries, which is a far better rate than he has on the season.
The Royals will have to up their game on offense, whether it be through the homer – like Monday – or other means.
Matchup Information
Royals vs. Angels Betting Preview
Second-year hurler Jonathan Heasley will get the starting nod for the Kansas City Royals, owning a 1-3 record so far. Kansas City has won his previous two outings, though, the last being a victory on the road at San Francisco last Wednesday.
In that one, he ate four innings, giving up five hits and two earned runs. That showing followed a seven-frame effort against Baltimore on June 10, the longest of the year for Heasley. To this point, he has a 3.72 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP.
Southpaw Reid Detmers is slated to be his counterpart and throw for the Halos. Since his no-hitter against Tampa Bay in May, Los Angeles hasn’t come out on the right side of any of his five starts. His 3.2 innings against the Dodgers last week were among the least he’s pitched in a game in 2022.
It might come down to whether or not he can get back on track after his last time out.
Kansas City Royals vs. Los Angeles Angels Picks and Predictions
In terms of MLB matchups, this one should provide a good opportunity for the Angels to jump on their visitors. The Royals’ bats don’t match up well, and Monday will show to be an outlier.
After you’ve seen these MLB team stats, take Los Angeles to cover at home with MLB picks today. The Angels will tie the series.
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