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The Royals travel to Tampa Bay to start a new 3-game series! These two teams have started slowly, but both are playing well coming into this series. A win in this series would be massive for either team to stay red-hot. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Royals-Rays prediction and pick.
Royals-Rays Projected Starters
Michael Lorenzen vs. Taj Bradley
Michael Lorenzen (2-3) with a 3.90 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP
Last Start: Allowed one run on five hits with four walks and seven strikeouts through six innings.
Away Splits: (0-3) 5.74 ERA
Taj Bradley (2-1) with a 5.08 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP
Last Start: Allowed three runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts through six innings.
Home Splits: (2-1) 4.67 ERA
Here are the MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Royals-Rays Odds
Kansas City Royals: +1.5 (-162)
Moneyline: +124
Tampa Bay Rays: -1.5 (+136)
Moneyline: -146
Over: 9 (-105)
Under: 9 (-115)
How to Watch Royals vs. Rays
Time: 7:05 pm ET/4:05 pm PT
TV: FanDuel Sports Network, SUN/FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why The Royals Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Royals played well last season, posting an 86-76 record. However, they started this season with a 14-15 record and have won six of their previous seven games. Their bats and pitching were both top 10 units in the MLB last year. The bats have started slowly this season, while the pitching is still one of the better units in the league. Seth Lugo, Cole Ragans (dealing with an injury), Michael Wacha, and Kris Bubic make up a monster pitching staff for Kansas City and have been huge this season. Their bats are also significant, led by Bobby Witt Jr., Jonathan India, Maikel Garcia, Salvador Perez, Michael Massey, Hunter Renfroe, and Vinnie Pasquantino. The Royals have the talent and are red-hot coming into this series, and they can make a big jump in momentum in this game.
The Royals are starting Lorenzen on the mound. He has a 2-3 record, a 3.90 ERA, and a 1.45 WHIP. He has allowed 13 runs on 29 hits with 11 walks and 24 strikeouts through 27.2 innings across five starts this season. He also has a K/BB ratio of 2.2. The Royals have gone 2-3 in his five starts this year. Lorenzen has been solid for the Royals at best. He gets a difficult matchup against a Rays offense that has been playing well and has a lot of depth.
The Royals' offense was outstanding last season but has started slowly this season. They are 25th in team batting average at .225 after finishing last season with a .248. Witt Jr. and Pasquantino have been great at showcasing the balance of this offense. Witt Jr. leads in batting average at .315, in OBP at .381, and in total hits with 35. Then, Pasquantino leads in home runs with three and in RBI with 16. The Royals have a lot of talent on offense, but they need to right the ship. This matchup might be the perfect opportunity to do just that against Bradley, and how he has had a bumpy road to start the year for Tampa Bay.
Why The Rays Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Rays were extremely inconsistent and mediocre last season, with an 80-82 record, and then they have a 14-14 record so far this season, winning five straight coming into this series. The Rays' offense struggled last season, but they have started this year red-hot as a top-10 unit. The pitching has only improved after finishing in the top 10 last season. Yandy Diaz, Brandon Lowe, Junior Caminero, Jonny DeLuca, Jake Mangum, Taylor Walls, Jonathan Aranda, and Kameron Misner. On the mound, Ryan Pepiot and Drew Rasmussen have been the best aces for the Rays. The Rays have much to like this season and the talent to make some noise, but consistency is key, and they need to keep winning for momentum.
The Rays are starting Bradley on the mound. He has a 2-1 record, a 5.08 ERA, and a 1.38 WHIP. He has allowed 16 runs on 27 hits with 12 walks and 27 strikeouts through 28.1 innings across five starts. He also has a K/BB ratio of 2.3. Bradley has been inconsistent individually, but the Rays are 3-2 in his five starts despite that. The Royals have talent on offense, but have struggled, and this is a good matchup for Bradley to take advantage of.
The offense for the Rays has gotten red-hot to start the year. They are seventh in team batting average at .253 after finishing with a .230 last season. Lowe, Caminero, Diaz, and Aranda are the best players on this balanced offense. Caminero leads in batting average at .309 and in OBP at .412. Then, Caminero leads in home runs with five, Lowe in RBI at 15, and Diaz in total hits with 28. This offense has been red-hot this season, but a matchup against Lorenzen is a big X-factor in this game.
Final Royals-Rays Prediction & Pick
Lorenzen has been a slightly better pitcher on the mound than Bradley. The Rays will win due to their offense, but Lorenzen helps the Royals cover and keep it close.
Final Royals-Rays Prediction & Pick: Kansas City Royals +1.5 (-162)
