The Kansas City Royals (17-13) travel to face off against the Toronto Blue Jays (15-15) on Tuesday, April 30th. This game will be played at Rogers Centre in Toronto and televised on None. The Blue Jays are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Royals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Blue Jays. First pitch is set for 7:07 ET.
Royals vs Blue Jays
Toronto picked up a 6-5 win over the Royals in the most recent game of this series. The Blue Jays had a two-run lead going into the 9th inning and had to hold on for the win as the Royals scored one run in the 8th and another four in the 9th. Heading into the game, the Blue Jays were favored at -173 on the money line.
Kyle Isbel hit the game’s only home run while going 2/4 with two RBIs, but it came in a losing effort. Justin Turner did a bit of everything for the Blue Jays, going 2/5 with two homers and three RBIs.
Yariel Rodriguez only went 3 2/3 innings for the Blue Jays but gave up just two hits and two earned runs. He finished with a win in the game, while Nate Pearson got the save. Jonathan Bowlan had a rough outing for the Royals, taking the loss.
Kansas City is on the road today vs. the Blue Jays, and they are looking to snap a three-game losing streak, all of which have come on the road. The Royals are 17-13 overall and trail the Guardians in the AL Central by three games. So far, they have an 8-5 record against other teams in the AL Central.
The Royals have dropped three straight games as the underdog, and they are 11-10 overall as the underdog this year. At home, the Royals have been good, going 12-5 compared to 5-8 on the road. Kansas City’s overall series record is 4-5, and they dropped the first game of this series vs. the Blue Jays.
The Royals have been a solid bet on the run line this season, going 19-11 overall. They have been especially good as the underdog, going 14-7. Their average run differential is +1.4 runs per game, and they have a run line record of 8-5 on the road.
The Kansas City Royals have played 28 games this season, and the over/under line has been set at 7.5 runs in three of those games. In those three games, the over is 0-3. The Royals have an over/under record of 10-18 on the season, and the average over/under line in their games this season has been set at 8 runs. The combined run average in their games this season is 7.8 runs per game.
Cole Ragans Gets The Start For The Royals
Cole Ragans is looking to build off his last outing, where he picked up the win vs. the Blue Jays. In that April 25th start, he went five innings, giving up just one earned run. Looking back over his last three outings, Ragans has three quality starts and a record of 1-2. His ERA for the season is 3.90, along with a WHIP of 1.43. Overall, he has made six starts and 37 strikeouts, with an average of 11.1 per nine innings. Opponents are batting .266 vs. Ragans this season. At home, his ERA is 12.0 compared to 0.0 on the road.
Royals Offense Breakdown
Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr. have been two of the Royals’ most consistent hitters this season, with Perez batting .346 and Witt Jr. at .306. Perez’s seven homers are 4th in the league, while Witt Jr. has two homers in his last nine games. Maikel Garcia is also on a four-game hitting streak and has gone 12/34 in his last nine games, including one home run.
As a team, the Royals are averaging 4.6 runs per game and are one of the league’s top home run-hitting teams. However, they are just 16th in batting average and have a collective on-base percentage of just .303. Kansas City has been striking out at an elite rate this season and has the league’s 2nd worst BABIP.
Toronto is at an even 15-15 overall heading into today’s matchup vs. the Royals. The Blue Jays are 4th in the AL East, trailing the Orioles by four games. They have won two straight games, taking the final game of their series vs. the Dodgers and the first game of this series vs. the Royals.
At home, the Blue Jays are 8-5 this year and 7-10 on the road. As the favorite, Toronto is 12-6 this year and 3-9 as the underdog. The Blue Jays’ overall series record is 4-4-1, and they lost two straight series before taking the series vs. the Dodgers.
When it comes to betting the run line for the Toronto Blue Jays, it’s been a mixed bag. They have an overall run line record of 14-16, but they have been slightly better at home, going 6-7. Their average run margin is -0.8, and they have been favored in 18 games, going 10-8 against the run line. Their average run margin in winning games is 2.9, but it drops to -4.5 in losses.
When the Blue Jays play at home, the over/under line is typically set at 8 runs, but today’s line is 7.5 runs. The over/under record for the Blue Jays this season is 12-17, and their games have averaged 8 runs per game. In the 5 games this season where the over/under line has been set at 7.5 runs, the record is 2-3. In the 25 games this season, the over/under line has been set at 7.5 runs 5 times, which is 83.3% of the time.
José Berríos Gets The Start For The Blue Jays
José Berríos has been dominant this season, coming into the game with a record of 4-1 and an ERA of 1.23. He has made six starts this year and has pitched at least six innings in each outing. Berríos has one complete game and five quality starts. In his most recent outing, he took the loss, giving up two earned runs in five innings of work. Before that, he had won three straight starts. Berríos has been especially tough at home, with an ERA of 0.0 and a record of 2-0.
Blue Jays Offense Breakdown
Justin Turner has been the Blue Jays’ top hitter so far this season, batting .311 with four homers and 15 RBIs. Daulton Varsho has also been a solid power threat for the Blue Jays, as he is 5th in the league with six homers and is batting .233 overall. Varsho has two homers and six RBIs in his last 10 games, while Turner has two homers and four RBIs in this stretch.
As a team, the Blue Jays are averaging just 3.6 runs per game, which is 26th in the league. They have been even worse at home, averaging 3.5 runs per contest. Overall, they are batting .230 and have the 5th fewest strikeouts in the league. Collectively, the Blue Jays are 11th in home runs but are near the bottom of the league in most other offensive categories.
Royals vs Blue Jays Prediction
Our pick for this game is to take the Royals on the money line, with the payout being +119. We actually have the Royals winning this game by a score of 5-4. If you’re looking for a parlay, you could also look to take the over, as the line is sitting at 7.5 runs, and we have this game combining for nine runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Jose Berrios is projected to finish with five strikeouts, while Royals starter Cole Ragans is predicted to finish with just three. However, we have Berrios finishing with a loss, and with the payout for a Blue Jays win sitting at -141, we would recommend sticking with the Royals.
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:April 30, 2024 Blue Jays, Royals