The Kansas City Royals (41-34) travel to face off against the Oakland Athletics (28-48) on Thursday, June 20th. This game will be played at Oakland Coliseum in Oakland and televised on BSKC. The Athletics are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Royals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Athletics. First pitch is set for 2:37 CT.
Royals vs Athletics
It was all Oakland in the last game of this series, as the A’s took down the Royals by a score of 5-1. The A’s offense only had two more hits than the Royals and struck out seven times, but still picked up a convincing win. Heading into the game, they were at +159 on the money line.
Kansas City got on the board first with one run in the 5th inning, but the A’s responded with two runs in the 5th and added three more in the 7th. As for the Royals, they could only muster one run and seven hits in the game.
Luis Medina got the win for the A’s, going 5 2/3 innings and giving up just one run. He finished the game with three strikeouts but issued two walks. Cole Ragans had a rough outing for the Royals, taking the loss after going six innings and giving up two earned runs.
Kansas City is on the road today, looking to pick up a win vs. the Athletics, as they have dropped three straight games, and they are 2-8 over their last 10 games. The Royals are 41-34 overall, putting them six games behind the Guardians for the AL Central lead. So far, they have gone 13-9 in divisional games.
This season, the Royals have been good at home, going 25-14, but they are just one game above .500 at 16-15 on the road. As the favorite, Kansas City has gone 19-11 this season, and they are 22-23 when the underdog. The Royals’ overall series record is 11-11-1, and they have dropped two straight series.
The Royals have been a solid bet this season, going 44-31 against the run line. They have been particularly good at home, going 23-16. On the road, they are 21-15. However, they have not covered the run line in their last three road games. As the underdog, they have been a great bet, going 29-16. Their average run differential is +0.7 runs per game.
With the Royals on the road against the Athletics, the over/under line is set at 7.5 runs. The combined run average for these teams is 8.8 runs per game, and their over/under record for the season is 34-39. The average over/under line for their games is 8 runs, and when the line is set at 7.5 runs, the over/under record is 3-9. Overall, 74.7% of their games have had higher lines than 7.5 runs, with only 9.3% of their games having lower lines.
Seth Lugo Gets The Start For The Royals
Seth Lugo gets the start for the Royals today as he faces off against the Athletics on the road. So far this season, Lugo has made 15 starts and has a record of 10-2. His ERA for the season is an impressive 2.40, along with a WHIP of 1.05. Lugo’s most recent outing came vs. the Dodgers, where he picked up the win, going six innings and giving up two earned runs. Before that, he had given up at least five earned runs in three straight starts. Lugo has been much better on the road, coming in with a 7-0 record and 1.96 ERA compared to 3-2 with a 3.16 ERA at home.
Royals Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Royals are averaging 4.8 runs per game, which is good for 8th in the league. At home, they have been even better, averaging 5.4 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .249, and their team on-base percentage of .312 is 11th in the league.
Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez have been two of the Royals’ top power threats this season, as they both have 11 homers, which is the best mark on the team. Witt Jr. also comes into the game with a team-high 52 RBIs and is batting .323 overall. MJ Melendez has been hot of late, going 5/13 in his last five games with a home run and four RBIs.
The Athletics are 28-48 overall and trail the Mariners by 16 games in the AL West. Oakland has gone just 6-14 in divisional games this year. They have won two straight games, and these two wins have come after going just 1-8 over their previous nine games. So far, they have gone 17-20 at home and 11-28 on the road.
So far, the Athletics have really struggled in night games, going 12-29. As the underdog, Oakland is 22-46 this year and 6-2 when favored. The Athletics’ overall series record is 7-15-1, and they have dropped seven straight series. At home, they are 11-18 as the underdog this year.
The Athletics have a run line record of 38-38 this season, including 18-19 at home. They have been a good bet on the run line as the underdog, going 36-32, but have struggled as the favorite, going 2-6. Their average run differential is -1.1 runs per game, and they have a run line win streak of two games at home.
The Oakland Athletics are hosting the Kansas City Royals today, and the over/under line for the game is set at 7.5 runs. The combined run average in Athletics games this season is 8.4 runs per game, and their over/under record is 33-41. The average over/under line for their games is 8 runs, and when the line is set at 7.5 runs, their record is 10-13. This season, 64.5% of their games have had over/under lines set higher than 7.5 runs.
Mitch Spence Gets The Start For The Athletics
Mitch Spence is looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Twins, as he got the start and went 5 2/3 innings. In that outing, he gave up four earned runs, three walks, and a homer. He finished with a no-decision in the game. Leading up to that start, Spence had turned in a quality start vs. the Mariners, going six innings and giving up four earned runs. He had allowed at least one homer in three straight outings before the Twins start. Spence’s ERA for the season is 3.95, along with a record of 4-3.
Athletics Offense Breakdown
As a team, the Athletics are batting just .222 this season, which is 19th in the league. They are also near the bottom of the league in runs per game, home runs, and on-base percentage. However, the team does have the 5th best slugging percentage in the league and have the 11th fewest strikeouts in the league.
Over his last four games, Zack Gelof has gone 4/15 with two homers and five RBIs. This has helped him move into a tie for the team lead in homers with Shea Langeliers and Brent Rooker. Rooker’s 44 RBIs are 13th in the league, and he is also 10th in the league with 13 home runs.
Royals vs Athletics Prediction
Our pick for this Royals vs. Athletics matchup is to take the Royals on the money line, with the payout sitting at -153. We actually have the Royals winning this one by a score of 5-4, so you could also look to take the over, as the line is currently sitting at 7.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Seth Lugo finishing with five strikeouts, which would have him as the 11th highest among all starters. As for Mitch Spence, we have him finishing with five K’s, which would have him as the fifth highest.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:June 20, 2024 Athletics, Royals