The Tampa Bay Rays will make a road trip to Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium to face off against the Kansas City Royals. This AL matchup can be viewed across the country on ESPN and the game gets underway 7:05 p.m. ET.
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Kansas City Royals Odds
Kansas City (+100) is the underdog against Tampa Bay (-110) and oddsmakers have set the Over/Under for this night game at 9.5 runs. Odds for wagering on the games total sit at -120 for the over and +100 for the under. Bettors can also wager on the games runline with the most recent odds sitting at +135 for the Rays -1.5 runs and -155 for the Royals +1.5.
The Rays have gone 16-22 SU this year and are 19-18 against the spread (ATS). They’ve lost 5.7 units for gamblers taking the moneyline in the seasons early going, despite having gained 0.7 units ATS. Tampa Bay has covered the spread just twice over its last seven games and the under has hit in four of those seven. The Royals, on the other hand, are 13-27 SU and 17-22 ATS. The team has lost 9.8 units for moneyline bettors and 8.4 units ATS. Kansas City has a 3-4 ATS mark over its last seven games and the total has gone under in four of those seven.
Royals games have an over/under record of 15-22-2 so far in 2018. The Rays have an over/under record of 19-16-2.
Ryan Yarbrough is getting the nod for Tampa Bay. The southpaw Yarbrough is 2-2 with a 4.30 ERA and 27 strikeouts. He has yet to face the Royals this year and did not record a start against them in 2017, either.
The Royals are putting the ball in the hands of lefty Eric Skoglund (1-2, 6.34 ERA), who has 28 strikeouts and 10 walks, as well as a WHIP of 1.32. Skoglund did not record a start against the Rays in 2017.
Tampa Bay’s pitchers have allowed 4.9 runs per game and its starting pitchers own a 4.52 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 8.28 K/9. The bullpen has logged an ERA of 4.93, along with a WHIP of 1.23 and a K/9 of 8.69.
Rays hitters have slashed .262/.335/.399 on their way to 4.3 runs scored per game this season, including 3.4 runs per game over the teams last 10 games and 4.0 per game over the teams last five contests (1-4 SU).
Second baseman Daniel Robertson and first baseman C.J. Cron have led Tampa Bay’s hitters. Robertson is slashing .279/.436/.453 with 24 hits, nine RBIs and 16 runs scored, while Cron has a .281 average with 41 hits, eight homers, 23 RBIs and 19 runs scored.
Cron appeared to enjoy hitting lefty pitching on the road last season. Over 46 such plate appearances, he put up a slash line of .244/.261/.600 (compared to his overall season line of .248/.305/.437).
For the home team, Kansas City’s pitching staff has allowed 5.8 runs per game overall in 2018. The clubs starting pitching staff has an ERA of 5.43, a WHIP of 1.41 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 7.3. The bullpen has a 5.76 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 6.2 K/9.
Kansas City’s offense has produced 4.1 runs per contest, including 5.8 per game over its last 10 games and 4.6 per game over its last five. The team has a slash-line of .278/.326/.406 over its last five games and is 1-4 SU during that span.
Right fielder Jorge Soler and third baseman Mike Moustakas have led the Royals batters so far. Soler is hitting .323/.423/.531 with five home runs, 18 RBIs and 19 runs scored, and the line for Moustakas stands at .296/.329/.553 with 10 homers, 29 RBIs and 25 runs.
Compared to his overall season slash line of .144/.245/.258, Soler seemed to enjoy hitting at home in 2017, slashing .213/.302/.404 over 53 plate appearances.
The Rays have gained 0.1 units and are 9-4 ATS when facing a lefty starter this season. The over has cashed in six of those games, compared to six that’ve gone under in such games. On the other hand, the Royals have netted 3.2 units and are 8-7 ATS when facing a lefty starter. The overs cashed in six of those games, compared to nine that’ve gone under.
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Kansas City Royals Free MLB Tip
Predictions: SU Winner – Royals, ATS Winner – Royals, O/U – OVER
Betting Notes
- he Royals have lost four of their last five games SU.
- ansas City has posted 26.0 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 contests and 24.6 over its last five.
- he Rays have hit six home runs in their last 10 games. The Royals have hit 12 over their last 10.
