MLB wagering interest swings to the Kansas City vs Minnesota battle on Friday at Kauffman Stadium as the Royals try to defend home turf and reward moneyline bettors.

Scott Baker, with a record of 1-2 on the season, gets the ball for the Twins, while the Royals trot Bruce Chen to the mound in this one. He is 3-1 so far in 2011.



View Minnesota vs Kansas City Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
If you're backing the visitors in this one, you'll find the Twins listed as underdogs of -115 at most sportsbooks. Total bettors saw the number open in the area of 8.5, depending on the book.

Power Rankings:
According to new MLB Power Rankings here, it's the American League No. 3-ranked Royals and the American League No. 12-rated Twins in this matchup.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Kansas City's No. 4 ranked American League offense (4.8 runs per game) against a Twins defense and pitching staff that sits at No. 14 in the American League at 5.2 runs allowed per game. The Royals have been averaging 9.2 hits per game, more than the Twins have managed so far this season (8 hits on average).

Comparing defensive stats, Minnesota owns the American League's No. 11-rated road mark, allowing 4.9 runs per game on the highway. Kansas City, on the other hand, rates No. 5 in scoring at home.

Last time out for Minnesota, they were a 6-1 loser as they battled the Rays at home. Moneyline bettors who got the Rays at +100 were rewarded, while the 7 combined runs moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. Minnesota didn't get the job done in their last match, falling 6-1 to Tampa Bay on Thursday at Target Field.

Last time out for Kansas City, they were an 8-2 loser as they battled the Indians on the road. Moneyline bettors who got the Indians at -155 were rewarded, while the 10 combined runs moved the game OVER for totals bettors. The Royals endured an 8-2 loss at the hands of the Indians on Thursday, with Kyle Davies throwing 3 1/3 innings of 9-hit ball at Progressive Field.


Minnesota Twins Trends:
When playing on Friday are 5-5
Before playing Kansas City are 6-4
After playing Tampa Bay are 4-6
After a loss are 3-7

Kansas City Royals Trends:
When playing on Friday are 2-8
Before playing Minnesota are 4-6
After playing Cleveland are 3-7
After a loss are 4-6

A few Twins at Royals trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
The total has gone OVER in 18 of Minnesota's last 23 games when playing Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Minnesota's last 9 games on the road
Minnesota is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Kansas City's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Kansas City's last 6 games when playing at home against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 18 of Kansas City's last 23 games when playing Minnesota
Kansas City is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games at home


Next up:
Minnesota at Kansas City, Saturday, April 30