Things are getting dire for the Royals on the road this year. They are now 17-34 away from Kauffman, have dropped eight of their last 10 total games and are now 7.5 games back in the AL Wild Card race. If they want to keep the repeat hopes alive, they need to start winning now and still have a chance to split their road series with the Texas Rangers to get that train rolling.
The Rangers have taken the first two of their four-game set with the Royals and now have a four-game lead in the AL West. They will send out Martin Perez (7-7, 4.38 ERA) today in search of the series win against Ian Kennedy (6-9, 4.41 ERA) and the Royals.
In Kennedy’s only start in Texas this year – against Houston – he pitched one of his best games of the season, hurling seven innings of two-hit, one-run baseball. I’m not saying that will translate to success in Arlington though, as Kennedy has not won a game on the road since May 7.
Perez, on the other hand, has been really good at home. He owns a 2.69 ERA and a 6-1 record through 10 starts at Globe Life Park. The -135 moneyline for the Rangers seems like good value at this point.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
Betting fans looking to pick the visiting Kansas City Royals before the first pitch in this match found them as 124 moneyline underdogs earlier today at Sportsbook. They saw the over/under total of 9.5 earlier at Sportsbook.
Odds Shark computer score prediction models pick a possible 6.6-2.2 win for the Rangers on Saturday. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming MLB matchups here.
Kansas City Royals vs Texas Rangers Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
60-44 Texas battles the Royals, currently with a 49-53 mark. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Texas vs Kansas City injuries news.
The Texas Rangers sit at No. 29 in the current MLB power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Kansas City Royals sit at No. 28 on the same chart.
Statistical Matchup
The game also pits Texas Rangers No. 7-rated offense, averaging 4.79 runs per game, against a Kansas City Royals defense that ranks No. 15 at 4.47 in runs allowed per game. The Texas Rangers have averaged 9.01 hits per game so far, less than Kansas City Royals batters have averaged on the year (9.06 hits per game).
Comparing defensive stats, Kansas City owns the No. 12-rated road mark, allowing 4.39 runs per game on the highway. Texas, on the other hand, rates No. 4 in scoring at home.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
Kansas City didn't get the job done in their last match, falling 8-3 to Texas on Friday at Globe Life Park.
Next Betting Matchups
Kansas City at Texas, Sunday, July 31st