The Oakland Athletics (19-28) travel to face off against the Kansas City Royals (27-19) on Saturday, May 18th. This game will be played at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City and televised on NSPCA. The Royals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Athletics are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Royals. First pitch is set for 7:10 ET.
Athletics vs Royals
Thanks to a five-run 6th inning for the Royals’ offense, they cruised to a 6-2 win over the Athletics in the most recent game of this series. Heading into the game, the Royals were favored at -203 on the money line.
The starting pitching matchup for this game featured Mitch Spence for the Athletics, and he went just 4 2/3 innings while giving up one run and took the loss. Cole Ragans put together a good outing for the Royals, getting the win after going seven innings and not giving up a run.
Kansas City got a huge performance from Michael Massey, as he went 3/4 with a home run and two RBIs. Both Maikel Garcia and Salvador Perez each drove in two for the Royals’ offense.
The Athletics are looking to snap a six-game losing streak today, and they are 19-28 overall this season. In the AL West, they trail the Mariners by six games, and they are 4-10 in the division this year. Oakland lost the final game of their series vs. the Angels and dropped the first game of this series vs. the Royals.
So far, the Athletics have been the underdog in most of their games, and they are 15-27 in those matchups. At home, they are 4-1 when favored and 9-15 as the underdog on the road. Oakland’s overall series record is 6-7-1, and they have lost three straight series.
When the A’s are the underdog, they have been a solid bet to cover the run line this season, going 22-20. However, they have failed to cover in their last three road games, and have covered the run line in just two of their five games as the favorite this season.
The Athletics have played 45 games this season, and only 4 have had higher over/under lines than today’s 8.5. Their games have averaged 8 runs, and their over/under record is 22-23. In their last 10 games, the over has hit 5 times, the under has hit 4 times, and there was 1 push. Their last game against the Royals had 8 runs, and the over/under was 8.5.
Ross Stripling Gets The Start For The Athletics
Ross Stripling gets the start for the Athletics today as he faces the Royals on the road. So far this season, he has made nine starts and has a record of 1-7 with a 4.98 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Stripling has a WHIP of 1.53 and opponents are batting .300 this season. In his last outing, Stripling took the loss, giving up two earned runs in five innings of work. Before that, he had given up at least five earned runs in three straight starts. Stripling’s lone win came on May 1st against the Pirates, where he pitched six scoreless innings.
Athletics Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Athletics have been one of the worst hitting teams in the league, as they are batting just .216 and are averaging only 3.7 runs per game. However, they have been much better at home, averaging 4.5 runs per contest. As a team, they are 4th in the league in home runs and have a collective isolated power of .159.
Over his past five games, Abraham Toro has gone 5/20 at the plate, and for the season, he is batting .293. Brent Rooker and Shea Langeliers are tied for the team lead with 10 home runs, with Rooker’s 28 RBIs being the best mark on the team. Langeliers is also on a three-game hitting streak.
The Royals are 27-19 overall this season, putting them 2nd in the AL Central, 1.5 games behind the Guardians for the division lead. Kansas City is 8-5 against other teams in the AL Central. The Royals took the first game of the series vs. the Athletics and have an overall series record of 7-7 this year.
At home, the Royals have gone 16-8 this season, and they are an even 11-11 on the road. As the underdog, the Royals are 15-13 this year and 12-6 when favored. They have won two straight at home, and their overall record is 6-4 over their last ten games.
When the Royals win, they win big, with an average run margin of 3.9 runs. When they lose, it’s by an average of -2.9 runs. They are 28-18 against the run line this season, including 15-9 at home. As the underdog, they are 19-9 vs. the run line. As the favorite, they are just 9-9.
The Royals have had a combined run average of 8.0 runs per game this season, but their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs. However, their games have gone under the over/under line in 16 of their 28 games, and their games have had an over/under line of 8.5 runs in only 19.6% of their games. Their last three games have gone under the over/under line.
Seth Lugo Gets The Start For The Royals
Seth Lugo has been dominant this season, coming into the game with a record of 6-1 and an ERA of 1.66. He has made a total of nine starts and has pitched well at home, with a record of 2-1 and an ERA of 2.76. Lugo has made eight quality starts this year and is coming off a game in which he allowed just one earned run in eight innings of work. In that outing, he gave up five hits and didn’t issue a walk. Lugo has been especially tough on the road, with a record of 4-0 and an ERA of 0.60.
Royals Offense Breakdown
Salvador Perez has been one of the best hitters in the league this season, batting .335 with a team-high 34 RBIs and 8 home runs. He has also been hot of late, going 11/29 in his last eight games. Perez is currently on a three-game hitting streak. Bobby Witt Jr. is also having a strong season, batting .291 with five homers and 23 RBIs.
As a team, the Royals are averaging 4.5 runs per game, which is 13th in the league. At home, they are averaging 5 runs per contest, which is 4th in the league. Overall, the Royals are batting .241, and they are 11th in home runs. However, they have been near the bottom of the league in terms of drawing walks.
Athletics vs Royals Prediction
Our predicted final score for this game is 6-5 in favor of the Royals, which means that you could look to bet on the money line, as they are predicted to win and have a payout of -184. However, we see there being more value on the over/under line, with the over sitting at 8.5 runs.
If you’re looking to bet on starting pitchers, we have Ross Stripling finishing with five strikeouts compared to Seth Lugo with four. In terms of team projections, the Athletics are predicted to hit nine home runs compared to the Royals with 11.
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:May 18, 2024 Athletics, Royals