The Kansas City Royals are trying to catch the Cleveland Guardians in the standings but will first fend off the Minnesota Twins in this series. The Twins sit five games back of the Royals, who have widened the gap after an 8-2 run over their last ten games. The Royals had won seven games consecutively before dropping their most recent outing to the Tampa Bay Rays. The Twins had a four-game losing streak before winning two of three against the Nationals and Rangers in their past two series. The Twins took two of three from the Royals in Kansas City in the season's opening series. It is time to continue our MLB odds series with a Royals-Twins prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
Cole Ragans gets the nod for the Royals in this game, and he's been lights out over his last two starts with 13 consecutive scoreless innings. Ragans had an up-and-down start to the season but has been pretty consistent for the Royals over his 11 starts. He has two starts of seven earned runs allowed but has allowed two or fewer in eight of 11. The Royals have won five of Ragans' last six starts, with Ragans getting the decision in four games to improve his record to 4-3.
Simeon Woods-Richardson will start for the Twins after having a scoreless outing of his own in his previous start. Woods-Richardson is on a pitch limit, as this is his first season in the big leagues. He had one appearance in 2022 and 2023 but has seven starts this season. The Twins won his first four starts but have lost two of three since.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Royals-Twins Odds
Kansas City Royals: -1.5 (+134)
Moneyline: -126
Minnesota Twins: +1.5 (-162)
Moneyline: +108
Over: 8 (-105)
Under: 8 (-115)
How to Watch Royals vs. Twins
Time: 7:40 PM ET/4:40 PM PT
TV: Bally Sports Network
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Royals Will Cover The Spread/Win
Woods-Richardson has been good this season, but he hasn't been able to go deep into games. The Twins may be in trouble if they get into a bullpen matchup with the Royals, as the Kansas City bullpen owns a 2.22 ERA over their last three games. The Twins haven't been as good, owning a 3.66 ERA over their past three, and with all their good relievers available on Monday, may burn them in that game. The opposite is true for the Royals, as their better relievers should rest on Monday and be ready for full usage on Tuesday.
The Royals have been hitting better overall than the Twins, averaging 6.6 runs/nine over their last ten games. They have a whopping .358 on-base percentage, while the Twins are just .282 over their last ten games.
Why The Twins Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Twins offense matches up well with the Royals in this matchup, as they own identical 4.7 runs/nine averages against their opposing pitcher-handedness. The Twins have a better average and on-base percentage against lefties.
Final Royals-Twins Prediction & Pick
It's hard to slow down a team when they are on a roll, which is the case with the Royals and their 8-2 record over the last ten. The Royals offense has been in much better form, averaging almost double the runs/nine. The Twins' pitching situation worries me, with Woods-Richardson having a limited pitch count and their bullpen being the worst of the two. Take Cole Ragans to lead the Royals to a victory here as Kansas City pulls away late against the Twins bullpen.
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Final Royals-Twins Prediction & Pick: Royals -1.5 (+134)
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