The Kansas City Royals (40-31) travel to face off against the Los Angeles Dodgers (43-28) on Saturday, June 15th. This game will be played at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and televised on BSKC. The Dodgers are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Royals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Dodgers. First pitch is set for 8:10 CT.
Royals vs Dodgers
It was a low-scoring game in the most recent game of this Dodgers vs Royals series. Los Angeles went into the matchup as -152 favorites and squeaked out a 4-3 win. Kansas City had a three-run 4th inning but didn’t score another run in the game. As for the Dodgers, they scored three of their four runs in the 5th.
Gavin Stone got the start for the Dodgers and went seven innings while giving up three runs and striking out three. He picked up a win in the game, while Daniel Hudson closed things out. Cole Ragans only went four innings for the Royals, giving up three earned runs on six hits.
Miguel Rojas and Chris Taylor each homered for the Dodgers, while Shohei Ohtani went 2/4 with two RBIs. Salvador Perez hit the game’s only other home run while going 1/3 with three RBIs.
Kansas City is 40-31 overall this season, putting them six games behind the Guardians for the AL Central lead. So far, they have gone 13-9 in AL Central games. The Royals dropped the first game of their series vs. the Dodgers and are 11-10-1 in series this year.
At home, the Royals have gone 25-14 compared to 15-17 on the road. As the underdog, Kansas City is 21-22 this year, and they are 19-9 when favored. Kansas City’s overall record is a result of going just 4-6 over their last 10 games.
The Royals have been a solid bet against the run line this season, going 43-28 overall. They have been especially good on the road, where they are 20-12 against the run line. They have covered the run line in their last two road games and have been a strong play as the underdog, going 28-15 against the run line in those games. Their average run margin in winning games is +3.8, while it drops to -3.0 in losses.
The Kansas City Royals are on the road today against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The over/under line for the game is set at 8 runs. The Royals’ games have averaged 8.9 runs per game this season, and their overall over/under record is 32-37. When the over/under line is set at 8 runs, their record is 8-5-1. So far this season, 56.3% of their games have had over/under lines set higher than 8 runs, and 23.9% have had lines set lower than 8 runs. The under has hit in each of their last two games.
Seth Lugo Gets The Start For The Royals
Seth Lugo gets the start for the Royals today as he faces the Dodgers on the road. So far this season, he has made 14 starts and has a record of 9-2. Lugo’s ERA for the season is an impressive 2.37, along with a WHIP of 1.04. In his last outing, Lugo took the loss, giving up four earned runs in seven innings of work. Before that, he had picked up the win in three straight starts. Lugo has been much better on the road, coming in with a record of 6-0 and 1.81 ERA compared to 3-2 with a 3.16 ERA at home.
Royals Offense Breakdown
As a team, the Royals are averaging 4.8 runs per game, which is the 7th best mark in the league. They have been even better at home, averaging 5.4 runs per contest. Overall, they are batting .252 as a team, which is the 6th best mark in the league. Bobby Witt Jr. has been their top hitter this season, batting .325 with 11 homers and 50 RBIs.
Witt Jr. has been even better of late, going 14/38 over his last nine games. However, he has gone deep just one time in his last 10 games. Catcher Salvador Perez is also having a strong season, batting .297 with 11 homers. Nelson Velazquez is 2nd on the team in homers but has a batting average of just .207.
Los Angeles is 43-28 overall and leads the NL West by seven games over the Padres. The Dodgers are 13-10 against other teams in the NL West. This year, the Dodgers have been good at home, going 23-14 and 20-14 on the road.
So far, the Dodgers have been the favorite in most of their games, where they are 41-25. As for how they have fared as the home favorite, the Dodgers are 22-14 this year. The Dodgers have an overall series record of 14-10 this season.
Despite their overall run line record being below .500, the Dodgers have been a solid bet at home this season, going 17-20 against the run line. Their average run margin in winning games is 4.2, while their average run margin in losing games is -2.8.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the midst of a three-game under streak, and they have played to the under in 35 of their 71 games this season. Today’s over/under line is set at 8 runs, which is right around their season average of 8 runs per game. The Dodgers have played to the under in 50 of their 71 games this season, and the over/under line has been set at 8 runs in nine of their games.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto Gets The Start For The Dodgers
Yoshinobu Yamamoto gets the start for the Dodgers today and will be looking to build off his last outing, where he didn’t allow a run. Against the Yankees on June 7th, he went seven innings, giving up just two hits and two walks. Yamamoto finished with seven strikeouts in that outing. Overall, he has made 13 starts and is 6-2 with a 3.00 ERA. Opposing batters are hitting .223 off the right-hander this season. Yamamoto has turned in seven quality starts and is averaging 10.38 strikeouts per nine innings.
Dodgers Offense Breakdown
Los Angeles comes into the game as one of the best offensive teams in the league, as they are 5th in runs per game and are the top-ranked team in terms of on-base percentage and OPS. The Dodgers are also near the top of the league in home runs and batting average. So far, they have been a very patient team at the plate, as they are the top-ranked team in terms of walks.
Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernandez are both in the top 5 in the league in home runs, and both players have been swinging the bat well of late. Hernandez has gone deep five times in his last 10 games, while Ohtani has 12 RBIs in this stretch. Freddie Freeman has also been hot for the Dodgers, hitting .324 with two homers in his last 10 games.
Royals vs Dodgers Prediction
We see the Dodgers taking this one at home by a score of 6-5, giving us a good payout on the money line. However, our recommended bet would be to take the over, as the line is sitting at 8 runs, and we have this one finishing with 11 total runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Yoshinobu Yamamoto finishing with six strikeouts and Seth Lugo with just four. If you’re looking for a player prop bet, Yamamoto is a good option. As for Lugo, we have him finishing with the third-fewest earned runs among today’s starters.
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 15, 2024 Dodgers, Royals