The Oakland Athletics will head east to Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium to square off against the Kansas City Royals. This AL matchup will begin at 8:15 p.m. ET and NBC Sports – California will televise the game.
Oakland Athletics at Kansas City Royals Odds
Oddsmakers are listing Oakland (-115) as the favorite over Kansas City (+105). The total sits at 9.5 runs and bettors can wager on the over for +100 and the under for -120. The game’s current runline odds stand at +130 for taking the Athletics -1.5 runs and -150 for the Royals +1.5.
The Royals are just 20-36 SU and 27-29 ATS. They’ve lost 9.8 units for moneyline bettors and 6.7 units against the spread (ATS). Kansas City has covered the spread five times in its last seven games and the total has gone under in three of those seven. The Athletics have gone 29-28 SU this year and are 26-30 ATS. Overall, the team’s accumulated 1.6 units for bettors taking the moneyline, but have lost 6.3 units ATS. Oakland is 3-4 ATS over its last seven games and the under has cashed in six of those seven.
Royals games have a 22-31-3 over/under record so far in 2018. Oakland has an over/under record of 25-28-3.
The right-handed Frankie Montas is projected to start for Oakland. Montas is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA and seven strikeouts. He has yet to face the Royals this year and did not record a start against them in 2017, either.
The Royals are sending righty Ian Kennedy (1-5, 5.15 ERA) to the mound. Kennedy has 54 strikeouts and 20 walks to his credit, as well as a 1.54 WHIP. Kennedy only made one start against the Athletics in 2017 (0-1, 3.00 ERA and four strikeouts across six innings).
As a unit, Kansas City’s pitching staff has given up 5.5 runs per game overall this season. Its starters have an ERA of 5.24, a WHIP of 1.43 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 7.5. The bullpen has a 5.30 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 7.0 K/9.
Kansas City’s offense is putting up 4.1 runs per outing, including 4.8 per game over its last 10 games and 5.2 per game over its last five. The team has slashed .269/.324/.437 over its last five games and is 3-2 SU during that stretch.
Left fielder Jon Jay and third baseman Mike Moustakas have led the Royals’ offense this year. Jay is hitting .307/.365/.362 with 67 hits, 15 RBIs and 25 runs scored, and Moustakas has produced a line of .280/.331/.518 with 12 homers, 39 RBIs and 29 runs.
For the visiting squad, Oakland’s pitching staff allowed 4.4 runs per game and its starters own a 4.24 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 6.99 K/9. The bullpen has logged an ERA of 3.54, along with a WHIP of 1.18.
Athletics hitters have slashed .237/.310/.405 on their way to 4.3 runs scored per game this season, including 2.2 runs per game over the team’s last 10 games and 2.4 per game over the team’s last five contests (2-3 SU).
Oakland’s offensive production been powered by second baseman Jed Lowrie and shortstop Marcus Semien, who’ve collectively belted 14 home runs. Lowrie is hitting .299/.362/.493 with nine home runs, 39 RBIs and 20 runs scored, while Semien is hitting .268/.320/.383 with five homers, 24 RBIs and 35 runs scored.
The Athletics have gained 4.2 units and are 16-20 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher this year. The over has cashed in 18 of those games, compared to 17 that’ve gone under in such games. On the other hand, the Royals have lost 13.3 units and are 15-21 ATS when facing a righty starter. The over has hit in 14 of those games, compared to 19 that went under.
Oakland Athletics vs. Kansas City Royals Free MLB Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Royals, ATS Winner – Royals, O/U – OVER
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Notes
Betting Trends
Oakland fielders have eight errors over the last 10 games, compared to three errors for Kansas City over its last 10.
The Athletics have hit eight home runs in their last 10 games. The Royals have hit 12 over their last 10.
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