The Kansas City Royals (22-16) travel to face off against the Los Angeles Angels (14-23) on Thursday, May 9th. This game will be played at Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim and televised on FS1. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. First pitch is set for 9:38 ET.

Royals vs Angels

Bobby Witt Jr. was hot at the plate in the Royals’ most recent game vs. the Brewers, going 2/3 with a homer and three RBIs. The Royals really broke out the offense in their 6-4 win, scoring six runs on nine hits. Kansas City was the slight favorite at -121 at home going into the game.

Brady Singer started for the Athletics, going 5 1/3 innings and giving up just one run on five hits. He only had four strikeouts in the outing and got the win.

Kansas City is on the road today vs. the Angels, with an overall record of 22-16, which has them 2nd in the AL Central. The Royals are 2.5 games behind the Guardians for the division lead, and they have an AL Central division record of 8-5. The Royals won the final two games of their series with the Brewers and are 5-5 over their last 10 games.

At home, the Royals have gone 15-8 this year and are just under .500 at 7-8 on the road. As the favorite, the Royals are 9-5 this year and 13-11 when coming into a game as the underdog. Kansas City’s overall series record is 6-6 this year.

When the Royals are on the road, they are a good bet to cover the run line, as they are 24-14 overall. They are 10-5 on the run line on the road, including covering in their last three road games. They are 17-7 on the run line as the underdog, compared to 7-7 as the favorite.

The Kansas City Royals have seen their last two games go over the total, and they have gone over in three of their last four games. The Royals have gone over the total in 13 of their 36 games this season, and their games have averaged 8.0 runs per game. The over/under line for today’s game is set at 8 runs, and the Royals have gone over the total in three of their six games with an over/under line of 8 runs this season.

Michael Wacha Gets The Start For The Royals

Right-hander Michael Wacha gets the start for the Royals today as he faces the Angels on the road. Wacha has made seven starts this year and has a record of 1-4 with an ERA of 5.50. Looking at his numbers on the road, Wacha is 0-3 with a 5.56 ERA. He has allowed at least two home runs in three of his last four outings. Wacha’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.46. In his most recent outing, he took the loss, giving up seven earned runs in 3 2/3 innings of work. The right-hander has taken the loss in each of his last three outings.

Royals Offense Breakdown

So far this season, the Royals offense has been solid, averaging 4.6 runs per game (12th). They have been even better at home, putting up 5 runs per contest. Overall, they are batting .241, which is 11th in the league, and are one of the toughest teams to strike out in the league. As a team, they are 12th in home runs and have the 10th best slugging percentage in the league.

Over the team’s last eight games, Michael Massey has been on fire, going 10/28 with three homers and nine RBIs. For the season, Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr. have been the team’s top power threats, with Perez’s eight homers ranking 5th in the league, and Witt Jr. is hitting .327 with five homers.

The Angels’s offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Pirates, closing out their series with a 5-4 win. After going on to score just one run in the 3rd inning, the Pirates added three more in the 5th to take the lead. However, the Angels scored three runs of their own in the 6th to pick up the win. Los Angeles was the +114 underdog on the money line going into this road game.

José Soriano got the start for the Angels, going 4 2/3 innings, and took the no-decision. He really struggled with his command, giving up four earned runs on six hits and issuing two walks. The Angels’s bullpen was excellent, though, as they didn’t give up a run after Soriano exited the game.

With an overall record of 14-23, the Angels are seven games behind the Rangers for the AL West lead. So far, they have yet to play a game against another AL West team. The Angels have won two straight games, and they are 4-11 at home compared to 10-12 on the road.

Los Angeles has an overall series record of 2-9-1 this year, and they have lost five straight series at home. As the underdog, the Angels are 13-20 this year, and they are 1-3 when favored. In day games, the Angels are just 3-12 this year.

So far this season, the Angels have been a solid bet against the run line, as they are 18-19 overall. They have been especially good on the road, going 13-9, while they have struggled at home, going just 5-10. They have been a good bet as the underdog, going 18-15, while they have yet to cover the run line in any game where they are the favorite. Their average run differential in their wins is +3.9, while their average run differential in their losses is -3.9.

The Angels have played 27 games this season with over/under lines higher than 8 runs, which is 73.0% of their games. Their average over/under line is 9 runs, and their games have averaged 9.2 runs per game. Their over/under record is 20-16, and their over/under record when the line is set at 8 runs is 3-3-1. Their over streak is currently at 2 games.

Reid Detmers Gets The Start For The Angels

Left-hander Reid Detmers gets the start for the Angels today as he faces the Royals at home. He has made seven starts this year and has a record of 3-3 with a 4.24 ERA. Detmers’ WHIP for the season is currently 1.22. The last time he pitched, he gave up seven earned runs and three homers in 5 2/3 innings of work. He took the loss in that outing. Before that, he had given up at least two homers in three straight starts. Opponents are batting .229 off Detmers this season.

Angels Offense Breakdown

Mike Trout has been one of the league’s top power hitters this season, as his 10 home runs are the 3rd most in the league. However, his batting average is just .220, and he comes into the game as one of the Angels’ coldest hitters. Taylor Ward has been the Angels’ top run producer this season, as his 24 RBIs are the 11th most in the league right now. Ward also has seven homers, which is 2nd on the team.

Los Angeles’ offense is batting a collective .244, which is the 10th best mark in the league. As a team, they are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 19th in the league. They have been a bit better at home, averaging 4.1 runs per game. The Angels’ offense is also 9th in the league in home runs.

Royals vs Angels Prediction

Our prediction for today’s Royals vs. Angels game is to take the Angels on the money line at -105. With this payout, we see this as a great value pick, as our predicted final score is 5-4 in favor of the Angels.

Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Reid Detmers finishing with six strikeouts, which is good enough for fifth among all starters today. As for Michael Wacha, he is projected to finish with just four K’s, which is fifth worst.

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.