The Kansas City Royals will do battle against the Tampa Bay Rays in a Wednesday matinee. Fox Sports Kansas City will showcase this AL matchup and the first pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET.
Kansas City Royals at Tampa Bay Rays Odds
The Rays are 16-8 straight up (SU) and 15-8 against the spread (ATS). The team’s gained 3.8 units for moneyline bettors and 7.0 units ATS. Tampa Bay has a 3-4 ATS mark over its last seven games and the total has gone over in five of those seven. The Royals, on the other hand, are 7-17 SU and have gone 12-11 against the spread. Overall, the team’s lost 8.1 units for moneyline bettors in this young season and 1.1 units ATS. Kansas City has covered the spread only twice over its last seven games and the total has gone under in four of those seven.
Tampa Bay games have had an over/under record of 10-12-1 so far in 2019. The Royals have been a decent over bet with a total record of 14-8-1.
Right-hander Jakob Junis is the probable starter for the visiting Royals. Junis is 1-2 with a 6.26 ERA and 26 strikeouts. He has yet to face the Rays this year and only made one start against them in 2018 (0-1, 3.18 ERA and five strikeouts across 5.2 innings).
The Rays will turn to lefty Blake Snell (2-1, 2.16 ERA), who has 36 strikeouts and four walks, in addition to a WHIP of 0.76. Snell only made one start against the Royals in 2018 (1-0, 1.50 ERA and 11 strikeouts across six innings).
Tampa Bay’s pitching staff has allowed 2.9 runs per game overall in 2019 as a unit. The team’s starters have a 2.04 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings. The bullpen has a 3.61 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 9.6 K/9.
The Tampa Bay offense is putting up 4.9 runs per contest, including 4.9 per game over its last 10 games and 4.6 per game over its last five. The team has a slash-line of .245/.328/.491 over its last five matchups and is 2-3 SU during that span.
Austin Meadows and Tommy Pham have led the Rays’ batters so far. Meadows is hitting .351/.422/.676 with six home runs, 19 RBIs and 11 runs scored, and Pham’s line sits at .295/.411/.455 with four homers, 10 RBIs, 12 runs and six stolen bases.
For the visiting squad, Kansas City’s pitching staff allowed 5.4 runs per game and its starting pitchers own a 5.32 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 8.15 K/9. The bullpen has an ERA of 5.63, along with a K/9 of 8.78.
Royals hitters have slashed .235/.314/.423 on their way to 4.3 runs scored per game in 2019, including 3.9 runs per game over the team’s last 10 games and 3.0 per game over the team’s last five contests (0-5 SU).
Second baseman Whit Merrifield and outfielder Alex Gordon have led Kansas City’s offense. Merrifield is slashing .287/.318/.455 with three home runs, 10 RBIs, 16 runs and five steals, while Gordon (.314/.396/.593) is up to five homers, 21 RBIs and 15 runs scored.
The Royals have lost 4.1 units and are 3-3 ATS when facing a left-handed starting pitcher this year. The over has cashed in three of those games, as opposed to two that’ve gone under in such games. On the other hand, the Rays have netted 1.9 units and are 11-6 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher. The over has hit in nine of those games, compared to seven that’ve cashed the under.
Royals at Rays MLB Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Rays, ATS Winner – Royals, O/U – OVER
Betting Notes
- The under has hit in only two of Tampa Bay’s last seven games.
- The Royals have an OPS of .736 this season, including an OPS of .594 against left-handed pitchers. The Rays’ OPS stands at .801 overall and .739 against lefties.
- Kansas City has posted 18.5 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 games and 16.2 over its last five.
- The Royals have hit 17 home runs in their last 10 games. The Rays have hit 14 over their last 10.
