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The Kansas City Royals take on the San Francisco Giants. Our MLB odds series has our Royals Giants prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Royals Giants.
The San Francisco Giants are already sinking in the National League West. They absorbed one of the worst losses of the season on Saturday against the Royals in the second game of this three-game series. It's bad enough for the Giants that they lost a home series to the Royals, but what's worse is how they let Saturday's game slip away. The Giants were in firm control of this game through seven innings. In the top of the eighth, they led 5-2. They gave away that lead on a three-run home run by Salvador Perez of the Royals. That happens. Perez is a really good hitter and a permanent Royals legend. The loss for the Giants isn't terrible for that reason. It's due to what happened next.
Having blown the three-run lead, the Giants loaded the bases with no out in the bottom of the eighth against a Kansas City bullpen which was terrible last season and is unlikely to be significantly better in 2023. Yet, the Giants could not score, hamstrung by a series of bad at-bats which couldn't put the ball in play. It's not as though guys hit liners right at fielders; these were just noncompetitive at-bats with bad swings.
Then came the top of the ninth in a 5-5 tie. The Giants wild-pitched in the go-ahead run for the Royals. They didn't at least force Kansas City hitters to put the ball in play. The 6-5 loss was bad on its own, but the details were atrocious for San Francisco, which will try to avoid a sweep at home against the Royals.
Here are the Royals-Giants MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Royals-Giants Odds
Kansas City Royals: +1.5 (-150)
San Francisco Giants: -1.5 (+125)
Over: 8.5 (-114)
Under: 8.5 (-106)
How To Watch Royals vs. Giants
TV: Bally Sports Kansas City (Royals) / NBC Sports Bay Area (Giants) / MLB Extra Innings
Stream: MLB.tv
Time: 4:10 p.m. ET/1:10 p.m. PT
*Watch Royals-Giants LIVE on fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Royals Could Cover The Spread
The Royals are finding ways to win. These last two games against the Giants were tough, close games in which Kansas City relievers got the big outs in important situations. That ability to make the big plays late in games flows through both dugouts, filling the Kansas City team with confidence and reducing the belief of the San Francisco squad. The season is early, but games such as Saturday — with the Royals being seemingly cooked on multiple occasions but wiggling out of trouble for a 6-5 victory — can certainly have a carryover effect on the next day at the ballpark. The Giants aren't good enough or successful enough to merit the benefit of the doubt. The Royals are going to have a spring in their step.
Why The Giants Could Cover The Spread
The Giants know how bad and unacceptable Saturday's loss was. They're going to be focused. They are going to be intent on playing a complete baseball game to wipe away the bitter taste of that defeat against the Royals. Beyond that, the odds of the Giants getting swept at home by the Royals are low. You wouldn't want to trust that Kansas City is going to sweep any team on the road this season, with the possible exception of the Detroit Tigers.
Also: Kris Bubic, the starter for the Royals, is not one of their better pitchers. The Giants should be able to get off to a good start in this game and establish an advantage.
Final Royals-Giants Prediction & Pick
The Giants are not going to get swept at home by the Royals, and they're going to be mad after Saturday's debacle.
Final Royals-Giants Prediction & Pick: Giants -1.5
