The Kansas City Royals (18-13) travel to face off against the Toronto Blue Jays (15-16) on Wednesday, May 1st. This game will be played at Rogers Centre in Toronto and televised on SNET. The Royals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Blue Jays are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Royals. First pitch is set for 3:07 ET.
Royals vs Blue Jays
Thanks to a two-run homer from Michael Massey and a good outing from Cole Ragans, the Royals picked up a 4-1 road win over the Blue Jays in the most recent game of this series. Heading into the game, the Royals were at +110 on the money line.
Ragans went 6 2/3 innings for the Royals, giving up just one run and striking out nine. He picked up a win in the game, while James McArthur got the save. Jose Berrios had a decent outing for the Blue Jays, going seven innings and giving up two earned runs.
Kansas City’s other two runs came on a two-run single from Bobby Witt Jr. Salvador Perez also had a two-hit game for the Royals’ offense.
Kansas City is 18-13 overall this year, putting them 2nd in the AL Central, two games behind the Guardians for the division lead. The Royals lost the final game of their series vs. the Tigers but bounced back to win the first game of this series vs. the Blue Jays.
At home, the Royals have gone 12-5 this year, and they are just above .500 at 6-8 on the road. So far, they have been the favorite in nine games, going 6-3 in those. As for their record as the underdog, the Royals are 12-10. Kansas City’s overall series record is 4-5 heading into today’s game.
When the Royals are on the road, they are a solid bet to cover the run line, as they have a 20-11 record. Their run line record is even better when they are the underdog, as they are 15-7. The run line has hit in their last two road games, and they are 9-5 overall on the run line when away from home.
Through 29 games, the Royals have seen their games average 7.7 runs per contest. Their over/under record is 10-19, and the average over/under line in their games has been 8 runs. When the line has been set at 8.5 runs, the over/under record is 3-9. Overall, 25.8% of their games have had lines set at 8.5 runs or higher.
Seth Lugo Gets The Start For The Royals
Seth Lugo has been pitching well for the Royals this season, coming into the game with a record of 4-1 and an ERA of 1.66. He has made six starts and has a WHIP of 1.10. Lugo’s most recent outing came on April 26th against the Tigers, where he picked up the win, going seven innings and not giving up a run. He did give up two homers in that outing. Lugo has made five quality starts this season and is averaging 5.45 strikeouts per nine innings. So far, he has not allowed a homer on the road.
Royals Offense Breakdown
Salvador Perez has been one of the league’s top power hitters this season, as his seven home runs are the 4th most in the league and the most on the Royals. Perez is also 3rd in the league with 26 RBIs. Perez has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 12/31 in his last 10 games. Bobby Witt Jr. has also been on a tear, hitting .342 over his last 10 games and is batting .315 for the season.
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 15th in the league in terms of batting average and have a collective on-base percentage of just .303. Kansas City’s lineup has been striking out at the 2nd lowest rate in the league.
Toronto is 15-16 overall heading into today’s game vs. the Royals, and they are five games behind the Orioles for the AL East lead. The Blue Jays are 5-5 against other AL East teams this year. Toronto dropped the series opener vs. the Royals but won the final game of their series vs. the Dodgers.
As the favorite, the Blue Jays have gone 12-7 this year and just 3-9 as the underdog. At home, they are 8-4 when favored. So far, they have gone 8-6 at home compared to 7-10 on the road. Toronto’s overall series record is 4-4-1, and they dropped two straight series before winning the series vs. the Dodgers.
As a run line bettor, the Toronto Blue Jays have been a tough team to figure out this season. They have a run line record of 14-17, but they are 8-9 on the road and 6-8 at home. They have been favored in 19 games and the run line record in those games is 10-9. As an underdog, they are just 4-8 on the run line. Their average run margin for the season is -0.8 runs per game. In their wins, they have an average run margin of +2.9, but in their losses, that number drops to -4.4.
The Toronto Blue Jays have had a combined run average of 7.9 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 12-18. The average over/under line for their games is 8 runs, but when the line is set at 8.5 runs, the under has hit in 8 of 11 games. Overall, 48.4% of their games have had lower over/under lines than 8.5 runs.
Chris Bassitt Gets The Start For The Blue Jays
Right-hander Chris Bassitt gets the start for the Blue Jays today and comes into the game with a record of 2-4 and an ERA of 5.64. Looking back at his last outing, Bassitt was roughed up by the Dodgers, taking the loss after giving up seven earned runs in just 2 2/3 innings of work. Before that outing, he had picked up the win in two straight starts. Bassitt has made six starts this year and has a WHIP of 1.85. Opposing batters are hitting .305 off Bassitt this season. So far, he has turned in two quality starts.
Blue Jays Offense Breakdown
Justin Turner has been the Blue Jays’ top hitter this season, batting .298 with four homers and 15 RBIs. Daulton Varsho has also been a good power threat for Toronto, as he is 2nd on the team with six homers but is batting just .233. Varsho is also on a four-game hitting streak. Turner has gone deep twice in his last seven games, but he is hitting just .261 over that stretch.
As a team, the Blue Jays are averaging just 3.5 runs per game, which is 28th in the league. Overall, they are batting .227 and have the 12th most home runs in the league. Toronto’s team batting average is just 18th in the league.
Royals vs Blue Jays Prediction
Our prediction for today’s Royals vs. Blue Jays matchup is to take the Blue Jays on the money line at -132. We have the Blue Jays winning this one by a score of 6-5. With the over/under line sitting at 8.5 runs, we do like the over, but we see more value in taking the Blue Jays to win outright.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Chris Bassitt is projected to finish with five strikeouts compared to Seth Lugo, who we have finishing with just three. Bassitt is also projected to go deeper into the game, and we have him finishing with a better ERA than Lugo.
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 1, 2024 Blue Jays, Royals