The baseball wagering menu sees a clash between Tampa Bay and Kansas City on Wednesday, with the host Rays trying to win for themselves and reward bettors who back them on the moneyline.

Luis Mendoza gets the ball in front of a hostile crowd for the Royals on this day; he's 6-7 on the season. The Rays, meanwhile, will counter with James Shields, who will be looking to improve on his 11-7 mark.



View Kansas City vs Tampa Bay Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
On the Sportsbook MLB line for this matchup, Tampa Bay sat as -185 favorites. The total was set at 7.5.

Power Rankings:
According to new MLB Power Rankings here, it's the American League No. 4-ranked Rays and the American League No. 6-rated Royals in this matchup.



How They Match Up:
The game also pits Tampa Bay's No. 9-rated American League offense, averaging 4.2 runs per game, against a Royals defense that ranks No. 9 in the American League at 4.5 in runs allowed per game. The Rays have averaged 7.8 hits per game so far, less than Royals batters have averaged on the year (9.2 hits per game).

Pitching and defensive stats are important baseball handicapping factors and Tampa Bay has the American League's No. 1-ranked defense. In the other dugout, the Royals own the American League's No. 9 mark in runs allowed.

Last time out for Kansas City, they were a 1-0 Sportsbook as they battled the Rays on the road. Moneyline bettors who got the Royals at +230 were rewarded, while the 1 combined runs moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. The Royals hope for a dominant pitching performance similar to their last game when Luke Hochevar struck out 10 batters in 1-0 victory on Tuesday at Tropicana Field.




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

Tampa Bay Rays Trends:
When playing on Wednesday are 6-4
Before playing Oakland are 6-4
After playing Kansas City are 5-5
After a loss are 6-4

A few Royals at Rays trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Kansas City's last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Kansas City's last 9 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Kansas City's last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
Kansas City is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Tampa Bay's last 12 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Tampa Bay's last 9 games when playing at home against Kansas City
Tampa Bay is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Kansas City
Tampa Bay is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games


Next up:
Kansas City at Boston, Friday, August 24
Tampa Bay home to Oakland, Thursday, August 23