The Kansas City Royals (40-30) travel to face off against the Los Angeles Dodgers (42-28) on Friday, June 14th. This game will be played at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and televised on SNLA. The Royals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Dodgers are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Rangers. First pitch is set for 9:10 CT.
Royals vs Dodgers
The Royals’s offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Yankees, closing out their series with a 4-3 win. After allowing three runs to the Yankees in the top of the 8th, the Royals were able to pick up the win with a walk-off single from Vinnie Pasquantino. Kansas City was the +139 underdog at home going into the game.
Alec Marsh put together a good start for the Royals, going seven innings and not giving up a run. He also issued just two walks and struck out seven Yankees batters. Bobby Witt Jr. was hot at the plate, going 2/3 with a run scored.
Kansas City is 40-30 overall, putting them 2nd in the AL Central, five games behind the Guardians for the division lead. The Royals will be on the road to take on the Dodgers today. So far, they have gone 13-9 against other teams in the AL Central.
The Royals are coming off a series loss, dropping three of four games to the Yankees. At home, the Royals are 25-14 this year compared to 15-16 on the road. As the underdog, the Royals are 21-21 this year and 19-9 as the favorite.
When the Royals win, they win big, with an average run margin of 3.8 runs per game. But when they lose, they lose by an average of 3.0 runs per game. They have been a good bet on the run line this season, going 42-28 overall, including a 19-12 mark on the road.
The Kansas City Royals are on the road today against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The over/under line is set at 8 runs, which is right around their season average of 8.9 runs per game. The Royals have hit the over in 32 of their 68 games this season, with an 8-5-1 record when the line is set at 8 runs.
Cole Ragans Gets The Start For The Royals
Kansas City is starting left-hander Cole Ragans today vs. the Dodgers. He has made 14 starts this year and has a record of 4-4 with a 3.08 ERA. Ragans’ WHIP for the season is currently 1.15, and opponents are batting .218 off him this year. In his last outing, Ragans went six innings and gave up one earned run, coming away with a no-decision. He has finished with a no-decision in each of his last two outings. Ragans has allowed just four homers this year and is averaging 11.16 strikeouts per nine innings.
Royals Offense Breakdown
Over the last five games, Bobby Witt Jr. has gone 9/21, and he is currently batting .330 for the season. Witt Jr. also leads the team with 50 RBIs and is 1st on the team with 11 homers. Salvador Perez is also having a strong season at the plate, hitting .297 with 10 homers. Perez’s 42 RBIs are 3rd on the team and 10th in the league.
As a team, the Royals are 6th in the league at 4.9 runs per game. They have been even better at home, averaging 5.4 runs per contest. Overall, the team is batting .253 (5th) and are near the top of the league in slugging, on-base percentage, and have the 3rd fewest strikeouts in the league.
Led by a big game by Andy Pages at the plate, the Dodgers are coming off a game in which they wasted several good performances. Pages went 2/4 with a homer and a run scored, but the Dodgers still lost to thejson Rangers 3-1. Los Angeles was the heavy favorite at -189 going into the game.
Michael Grove got the start for the Dodgers and took the loss. He only lasted one inning, giving up two runs on three hits. The Dodgers’s offense scored their only run in the 7th inning and wasted a good performance by Pages.
Los Angeles is hosting the Royals today with an overall record of 42-28, good for 1st place in the NL West. The Dodgers hold a six-game lead over the Padres for the division lead. The Dodgers lost the final two games of their series vs. the Rangers, dropping the series 2-1.
So far, the Dodgers have gone 13-10 in divisional matchups this season. At home, they are 22-14 compared to 20-14 on the road. As the favorite, the Dodgers are 40-25 this year, and they are 2-3 as the underdog. The Dodgers have an overall series record of 14-10 this season.
Los Angeles has been a solid run line bet this season, going 35-35 overall. The Dodgers are 17-19 against the run line at home, where they have a run differential of +1.4 runs per game. They have covered the run line in 18 of 34 road games, where they have a run differential of +1.6 runs per game. The Dodgers have failed to cover the run line in their last two games and are 2-3 against the run line as an underdog this season.
With an over/under line of 8 runs, the Los Angeles Dodgers are playing in a game with a lower line than their average of 8.5 runs per game. The Dodgers have gone under the line in two straight games, and they are 3-6 when the line is set at 8 runs this season. Overall, 71.4% of their games have had higher lines than 8 runs.
Gavin Stone Gets The Start For The Dodgers
Through 12 starts, Gavin Stone has a record of 7-2 and an ERA of 2.93 for the Dodgers. Stone has made six quality starts this year and is coming off a game in which he didn’t allow a run. In that outing vs. the Rockies, he went five innings and gave up just four hits. The right-hander has a WHIP of 1.24 and is averaging 7.05 strikeouts per nine innings. Stone’s ERA at home is 3.18, compared to 4.19 on the road. So far, he has walked 2.79 batters per nine innings.
Dodgers Offense Breakdown
Los Angeles comes into today’s game as one of the league’s top offenses, as they are 5th in runs per game and are 3rd in home runs. Overall, they are batting .256, which is the 3rd best mark in the league. The Dodgers are also the league’s top on-base percentage team and have the best OPS in the league.
Teoscar Hernandez has been swinging a hot bat for the Dodgers, batting .318 with four homers over his last six games. For the season, he is hitting .259 with 17 homers, which is tied for the team lead. Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernandez are also tied for the team lead in homers. Ohtani is also 2nd on the team with 44 RBIs, and Hernandez is 5th in the league with 50 RBIs.
Royals vs Dodgers Prediction
Our prediction for this Dodgers vs. Royals matchup is that the Dodgers will pick up a 6-5 win at home. Given that they are predicted to win and have a higher payout, we would recommend taking the Dodgers on the money line, where the odds are at -159.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Gavin Stone of the Dodgers finishing with seven strikeouts and picking up the win. As for Cole Ragans of the Royals, he is projected to finish with five strikeouts.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:June 14, 2024 Dodgers, Royals