The Los Angeles Angels (54-72) travel to face off against the Kansas City Royals (70-56) on Wednesday, August 21st. This game will be played at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City and televised on BSKC. The Angels are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Royals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Angels. First pitch is set for 7:10 CT.
Angels vs. Royals Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Angels (+162)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 9.5 Runs
- The Angels have scored 9 runs in their most recent game against the Royals, indicating strong offensive performance.
- The Angels have won 4 out of their last 6 road games, showing good recent form away from home.
- The Angels have scored 6 or more runs in 4 of their last 15 games, demonstrating their ability to generate offense.
- The Royals have lost 4 of their last 6 home games, indicating vulnerability at home.
- The Angels have a higher league rank (14th) compared to the Royals (15th), suggesting overall better performance this season.
Angels vs Royals
It was all Los Angeles in the last game of this series, as the Angels took down the Royals by a score of 9-5. The Angels offense only had two more hits than the Royals and struck out 13 times, but still picked up a convincing win. Heading into the game, they were at +167 on the money line.
Kansas City got off to a good start in this one, scoring two runs in the first and adding three more in the 4th. As for the Angels, they didn’t get on the board until the 4th but exploded for three runs in the 6th and added two more in the 7th. Both teams scored their final runs in the 9th.
Tyler Anderson only went six innings for the Angels but gave up just two hits and two earned runs. He finished the game with only two strikeouts but didn’t issue a walk. Cole Ragans struggled on the mound for the Royals, giving up four earned runs in five innings of work.
As the underdog, the Angels have a 48-57 record this season, compared to 6-15 as the favorite. Their overall series record is 12-26-2, and they have lost three straight series. On the run line, the Angels are 67-59, including a 33-26 record on the road and 62-43 as underdogs.
Heading into today’s game, the Angels are in 5th place in the AL West with a 54-72 record, 14.5 games behind the Astros. They have an even 17-18 record in divisional matchups this season. Los Angeles games have averaged 8.9 runs per game, and their over/under record is 61-60. This season, only 1.6% of their games have had over/under lines of 9.5 runs or higher.
Johnny Cueto Gets The Start For The Angels
Johnny Cueto will make his 11th start of the season against the Kansas City Royals. Last year, Cueto made 13 appearances and finished with a record of 1-4. His ERA for the season was 6.02, and he finished with a WHIP of 1.26. Cueto’s batting average allowed was .254, and his on-base percentage allowed was .312. He finished the season with one quality start and allowed a total of 17 home runs. For the season, Cueto’s strikeout-to-walk ratio was 2.6.
Angels Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Angels offense has been one of the worst in the league, averaging just 4 runs per game, which is 25th in the MLB. They have been even worse at home, averaging just 3.9 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .235, which is 16th in the league, and their on-base percentage of .306 is 17th. The Angels have been led in home runs by Zach Neto, who has gone deep 19 times this season.
Neto comes into the game with a batting average of .262 but has struggled of late, going 7/33 in his last eight games. Jo Adell is batting just .207 for the season but is on a four-game hitting streak. Adell is 2nd on the team with 18 homers this season.
With a 71-55 run line record, the Royals have been a good bet this season, especially as underdogs where they are 38-24. Kansas City is 26-13 against AL Central teams and has a 39-26 home record. They are 3.5 games behind the Guardians in the division.
Overall, the Royals have a 40-24 record as favorites and are 25-15 as home favorites. Their games have averaged 8.9 runs this season, resulting in a 57-65 over/under record. The O/U line for their home games is 9.5 runs, and their over/under record with that line is 6-6.
Michael Lorenzen Gets The Start For The Royals
Michael Lorenzen is starting for the Royals today and comes into the game with a record of 6-6 and an ERA of 3.68. So far this season, he has made 21 starts and eight of them have been quality starts. Per nine innings, Lorenzen is averaging 6.6 strikeouts and 4.22 walks. Looking back at his last outing, Lorenzen picked up the win, going 5 2/3 innings and giving up just one earned run. Before that, he had given up at least one homer in three straight outings. Lorenzen has been much better at home, coming in with a 7.06 ERA on the road compared to 3.6 at home.
Royals Offense Breakdown
As a team, the Royals are averaging 4.9 runs per game, which is 6th in the league. They have been even better at home, putting up 5.3 runs per contest. Overall, they are batting .257, which is the 4th best mark in the MLB. Not only are they one of the best hitting teams in the league, but the Royals are also the 2nd hardest team to strike out in the league.
Bobby Witt Jr. has been on a tear of late, going 13/31 in his last 8 games with three homers and 10 runs scored. For the season, he is batting .352 with 25 homers and 92 RBIs. Vinnie Pasquantino has also been a key power bat for the Royals, as he is 3rd in the league with 95 RBIs and has 18 homers.
Angels vs Royals Prediction
Our recommendation for today’s Angels vs. Royals matchup is to take the Angels on the money line at +162. We have the Angels winning this one by a final score of 6-5, and with the payout sitting at +162, we see this as a great value pick.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Michael Lorenzen’s chances of picking up a win as the sixth best among starters today, but his projected strikeout numbers are not great, as we have him finishing with just four K’s. If you’re looking at the over/under line, the line is set at 9.5 runs, and we have this one going over.
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:August 21, 2024 Angels, Royals