A pair of AL teams that have certainly fallen off of a cliff this season will go head-to-head as the Boston Red Sox continue their trip to the midwest to take on the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. It is time to check out our MLB odds series, where our Red Sox-Royals prediction and pick will be revealed.
After winning a trio of ballgames in a row to try and save what has been lost this season, Boston has now lost back-to-back games to eliminate any such positive progress. Regardless, at 53-54, the Red Sox are still somewhat alive in the AL playoff race as each game matters more than the last moving forward. Getting the call to start out on the road against the Royals to try to avenge their loss to KC yesterday will be the right-hander in John Winckowski. On the year, Winckowski owns a 4-5 record to go along with a 5.00 ERA.
Going 3-2 over the course of their last five contests, longtime pitcher Zack Greinke will be on track to get the start in this one. Despite only posting a 3-6 record, Greinke has a decent 4.41 ERA through his 17 games started.
Here are the Red Sox-Royals MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Red Sox-Royals Odds
Boston Red Sox: -1.5 (+134)
Kansas City Royals: +1.5 (-162)
Over: 9.5 (-102)
Under: 9.5 (-120)
Why The Red Sox Could Cover The Spread
Over the course of the past month, even the average baseball fan has been aware of the Red Sox struggles. Just prior to the All-Star Break, Boston lost in 10 of their last 13 games during the first half of the season to push them back considerably in the Wild Card Race. At the moment, the Red Sox are only three games back, so achieving their goal of reaching the postseason is definitely in reach.
However, the Red Sox must nip this short, two-game skid in the butt before it gets too out of hand. Boston can come out triumphant and cover the spread if they can get more production from the heart of their lineup. This could include a breakout game from newly acquired and former Royal Eric Hosmer, who was dealt from the Padres in the past few days. The former World Series Champion with Kansas City from 2011-2017 went 0-3 in his return to Kauffman Stadium and was greeted with loud cheers from the Royals faithful. Additionally, Rafael Devers is also back in the lineup after missing a week due to injury. The Red Sox are poised for a breakout game offensively.
Pitching-wise, Boston has had their fair share of struggles on the season but they feel confident in sending out Winckowski for his first-ever start against Kansas City. In his last outing, the 24-year-old Ohio native rookie bounced back after losing four starts in a row by tossing five innings and surrendering only a pair of runs versus the Brewers. A repeat of this would be a welcome sign to Red Sox bettors everywhere.
Why The Royals Could Cover The Spread
On paper, Kansas City may appear to have the worse record between these two squads, but that definitely wasn't the case in the Royals defeat over the Red Sox on Thursday by a score of 7-3. The Royals were sellers prior to the deadline and traded some key pieces like OF Andrew Benintendi to further increase the value of their farm team in the minor leagues. Heading into the season, many Royals and baseball fans knew that 2022 would most likely be a rebuilding year for Kansas City with the number of young prospects throughout the organization. With that being said, the Royals have still found a way to show flashes and generate excitement.
KC received timely and clutch at-bats to take the lead for good. Longtime Royals backstop Salvador Perez, who managed to sneak a three-run shot in the seventh inning barely over the outfield railing to put Kansas City on top for good. For a team that has struggled with their fifth-lowest slugging percentage in the league this year, the Royals need moments like the one Perez provided if they want to cover the spread and ultimately defeat the Red Sox for a second consecutive night. Even with the lackluster hitting statistics as a whole, the Royals are still surprisingly hitting .245 as a club, which is the 13th best mark in the major leagues.
The Royals may have an excellent chance to cover in large part due to the veteran leadership that Zack Greinke provides. While the now 38-year-old hasn't quite endured success against the Red Sox with a 2-5 record and a 5.09 ERA in eight career starts, he has only allowed two runs in his last 22 innings pitched.
Final Red Sox-Royals Prediction & Pick
Yesterday's matchup was definitely a nail-biter before the Royals took command late. Expect another doozy in this one that ultimately the Royals will stay competitive with a veteran hurler on the mound and the home fans of Kansas City backing them up this evening. Increase your profits and hammer the Royals to cover the +1.5 spread.
Final Red Sox-Royals Prediction & Pick: Royals +1.5 (-162)
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