We should have one of the easier MLB games of the day to bet on, as the Kansas City Royals will take on the Tampa Bay Rays. This is going to be the first game of a three-game set as Tampa Bay hosts Kansas City for a midweek series.
The Royals come into this one with the second-worst record in the American League at 20-54 and 16.5 games behind the first-place Minnesota Twins in the American League Central. Their MLB standings haven’t been great to start the season, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change anytime soon.
The Tampa Bay Rays, on the other hand, should have one of the easiest games on the Tampa Bay Rays schedule this week. Tampa Bay comes into this one playing decent baseball in their last ten games, winning five of those. They’re 52-25 on the season and in first place in the American League East.
Continue reading for our Royals vs Rays prediction.
Kansas City Royals vs. Tampa Bay Rays Odds
Kansas City Royals vs. Tampa Bay Rays Information
Kansas City Royals vs Tampa Bay Rays
Location of the game: Tropicana Field, Tampa Bay, FL.
Date & Time: Thursday, June 22. 6:40 pm ET.
How to watch: MLB.TV
Recent Scores
The Kansas City Royals standings look the way that they do because they’ve won just two out of their last ten games.
They lost their most recent game against the Detroit Tigers, 9-4. This was another game where they weren’t able to get anything going on the mound, and the offense also struggled for most of the game.
When looking at the MLB stats for Kansas City this season, it’s easy to see why this team has been one of the worst in baseball. They currently own a team ERA of 5.17, which is the third worst in the league.
From Strength to Strength
Tampa Bay has won five out of their last ten games, but that’s one of the worst marks of their season. They come into this one after an impressive 7-2 win against the Baltimore Orioles and will look to continue that on Thursday. Tampa Bay has been as good as they’ve been because they have a 3.53-team ERA, which ranks them second in baseball.
That’s something to keep in the back of our mind for our Royals vs Rays prediction, as the Rays have been pitching at an elite level and also been swinging the bats at a high level. Kansas City, on the other hand, hasn’t done either of those.
Kansas City Royals vs. Tampa Bay Rays Analysis
This is going to be an interesting game because of how bad the Royals have been this season and the fact that anything that could happen in baseball.
The fact of the matter is that Shane McClanahan is going to be on the mound for Tampa Bay, and because of that, he should be one of our MLB picks of the day.
McClanahan comes into this one with a 28.6 K% against the Royals in his career and also has allowed hitters to hit just .167. He hasn’t only been doing that against the Royals, as he enters play with a 2.12 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 89.1 innings pitched.
The Kansas City Royals will throw Jose Cuas, and that likely won’t be good news for them. Although he’s just 28 years old and is getting started in his MLB career, he hasn’t had the best stuff this season. He owns a 4.15 ERA and a WHIP above 1.4 in his last 15 games.
Odds Breakdown Kansas City Royals vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Before we move on to our Royals vs. Rays best bets, let’s take a close look at the betting odds.
Tampa Bay Rays
The MLB odds coming into this game are going to heavily favor Tampa Bay, and rightfully so. The Rays come into this one at -365 on the moneyline and -1.5 on the run line.
The over/under is also slotted at just 7.5, which is likely because of Shane McClanahan dominating Kansas City.
Kansas City Royals
With this being one of the toughest games on the Kansas City Royals MLB schedule, it’s not a surprise to see them coming in as such a huge underdog. They come in at +300 on the moneyline and +145 on the run line.
Kansas City Royals vs. Tampa Bay Rays Betting Pick and Prediction
- Our Royals vs Rays prediction is going to be backing Tampa Bay in this game on the run line.
With how much better they’ve been than the Royals, it almost seems improbable to take anything else. There’s a huge difference between these two MLB teams.
The Royals have been one of the worst teams in baseball this season, and with the way that Tampa Bay has played, there’s an argument to be made that they’ve been the best. Because of that, our bet is going to be taking the Rays on the run line for -170 odds.
If you love sports and want more sports betting information follow us as @InsidersBetDig on Twitter and sign up to our mailing list for free betting picks.
