The Tampa Bay Rays look to emerge victorious in MLB odds action as the Royals arrive at Tropicana Field on Tuesday.

Jeff Francis, with a record of 4-11 on the season, gets the ball for the Royals, while the Rays trot James Shields to the mound in this one. He is 10-9 so far in 2011.



View Kansas City vs Tampa Bay Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
On the Sportsbook MLB line for this matchup, Tampa Bay sat as -200 favorites. The total was set at 8.

Power Rankings:
The Rays sit at No. 8 in the American League in the current MLB power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Royals sit at an American League No. 9 on the same chart.



How They Match Up:
When it comes to getting on base, the visiting Royals rank No. 3 in the American League at 9.3 hits per game. That compares with Tampa Bay’s No. 13 ranking in that category.

Pitching and defensive stats are important baseball handicapping factors and Tampa Bay has the American League's No. 4-ranked defense. In the other dugout, the Royals own the American League's No. 12 mark in runs allowed.

Kansas City lost its last outing, a 2-1 result against the Rays on August 8. Bettors who backed the Rays at -155 on the moneyline won on the day, and the total score (3) sent UNDER bettors to the payout window. Kansas City suffered a 2-1 loss against Tampa Bay on Monday, as Luke Hochevar wasn't able to lead his team to victory at Tropicana Field.




Kansas City Royals Trends:
When playing on Tuesday are 5-5
Before playing Tampa Bay are 8-2
After playing Tampa Bay are 5-5
After a loss are 6-4

Tampa Bay Rays Trends:
When playing on Tuesday are 4-6
Before playing Kansas City are 2-8
After playing Kansas City are 5-5
After a win are 3-7

A few Royals at Rays trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Kansas City's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Kansas City's last 11 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas City's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas City's last 5 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Tampa Bay's last 11 games when playing Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing at home against Kansas City
Tampa Bay is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games when playing at home against Kansas City
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Tampa Bay's last 14 games


Next up:
Kansas City at Tampa Bay, Wednesday, August 10