The Kansas City Royals take on the Oakland Athletics. Our MLB odds series has our Royals Athletics prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Royals Athletics.

The Kansas City Royals were 6-19 through the first 25 games of their 2023 MLB season. The Oakland Athletics were 12-50 through the first 62 games of this season. These two teams have been the worst in the American League by far. They have both had the worst 20 and 30-game stretches of any MLB team this season, with the Arizona Diamondbacks (5-19 at one point) also joining the group of MLB clubs which have gone through nightmarish four-week sequences.

However, the Royals and Athletics both have reason to think that they can be better next year. We have seen young prospects thrive for Kansas City and Oakland. The Royals aren't just Bobby Witt Jr. They have seen M.J. Melendez catch fire in recent weeks. He went on a home run spree against the Boston Red Sox, but he has carried that hot bat into subsequent weeks.

The Seattle Mariners are the hottest team in the American League right now, but the Royals scored at least four runs in each of their four games against Seattle last week. The young kids on the Royals are learning how to hit, suggesting that next year, K.C. will be a much tougher team to play against.

The Oakland A's welcomed new draft pick Zack Gelof to their roster one month ago, right after the All-Star break. The A's, being well out of the playoff chase, are in a position where they need to play their young players and get them exposed to big-league pitching and the rhythms of professional baseball at the highest level. Zack Gelof has immediately thrived in the bigs. He hit nine home runs in his first 32 games with the A's, the fastest pace for any Oakland player in his first 32 games with the club. The Royals and A's can learn a lot from seeing what their young players do for the remainder of this season. They can take notes and plan for 2024.

Here are the Royals-Athletics MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Royals-Athletics Odds

Kansas City Royals: -1.5 (+136)

Oakland Athletics: +1.5 (-164)

Over: 8.5 (-118)

Under: 8.5 (-104)

How To Watch Royals vs. Athletics

TV: Bally Sports Kansas City (Royals) / NBC Sports California (Athletics) / MLB Extra Innings

Stream: MLB.tv

Time: 9:40 p.m. ET/6:40 p.m. PT

*Watch Royals-Athletics LIVE on fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Royals Could Cover The Spread

The Royals are not a good team, but with Bobby Witt and M.J. Melendez and other young players — Maikel Garcia, too — playing better in the second half of this season, they are beginning to develop an offense which can be taken seriously. The Royals were a very punchless team earlier in the season, but they have begun to demonstrate a better ability to score in bunches and apply a lot of pressure to opposing pitchers. There are fewer holes in this batting order, and the Royals look like a much more potent team than they were in May and June. They have made real progress. They can hammer an Oakland pitching staff which has been one of the worst in baseball all season long.

Why The Athletics Could Cover The Spread

The Kansas City Royals are Bobby Witt, M.J. Melendez, and not a whole lot else. The Royals have improved in terms of hitting, but their pitching is still noticeably bad if Brady Singer isn't pitching for them. Their bullpen is a huge point of weakness, and it was not a shock they got walked off by the A's on a two-run home run on Monday night in the first game of this series in Oakland. The A's have hungry, young players much as the Royals do. The talent differential between these teams is not large, and the A's can win this game in the latter innings, much as they did on Monday night.

Final Royals-Athletics Prediction & Pick

The Royals and A's are both untrustworthy. You might be tempted to pick Kansas City here, but you should have the sense to stay away.

Final Royals-Athletics Prediction & Pick: Royals +1.5