The Baltimore Orioles (12-7) travel to face off against the Kansas City Royals (13-7) on Saturday, April 20th. This game will be played at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City and televised on MASN. The Royals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Orioles are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Orioles. First pitch is set for 7:10 ET.
Orioles vs Royals
Thanks to a five-run 6th inning for the Royals’ offense, they cruised to a 9-4 win over the Orioles in the most recent game of this series. Heading into the game, the Royals were at +112 on the money line.
The starting pitching matchup for this game featured Dean Kremer for the Orioles, and he went just 5 2/3 innings while giving up three runs and took the loss. Alec Marsh put together a good outing for the Royals, getting the win after going 5 2/3 innings and not giving up a run.
Kansas City got a huge performance from Adley Rutschman, as he went 3/5 with a home run and four RBIs. Both MJ Melendez and Vinnie Pasquantino each drove in two for the Royals’ offense.
With an overall record of 12-7, the Orioles are 2nd in the AL East, trailing the Yankees by 1.5 games. So far, they have been perfect against other teams in the AL East, going 3-0. Baltimore is coming off a series loss, dropping the final game vs. the Royals.
At home, the Orioles have been strong at 8-4, and they are just above .500 on the road at 4-3. In series matchups, they have gone 4-2 so far.
The Orioles have been a good bet on the run line this season, going 11-8 overall. They are 7-5 on the run line at home and 4-3 on the road. Overall, they have an average run differential of +1.2 runs per game, with a scoring margin of +1.1 at home and +1.3 on the road. They are 10-7 on the run line as the favorite and 1-1 as the underdog. Their average run differential in wins is +4.2, while it drops to -4.1 in losses.
The Baltimore Orioles have played 18 games this season, and 17 of them have had over/under lines set higher than 7.5 runs. Their games have averaged a combined 10.2 runs per game, and their over/under record for the season is 12-5. In their most recent game, the O/U line was set at 9.5 runs, and the game finished with 13 runs scored.
Corbin Burnes Gets The Start For The Orioles
Corbin Burnes has been off to a great start this season, and he’ll be looking to continue that success on the road against the Royals. In his first start of the season, he went 6 innings and struck out 11 batters, but he did give up a home run. He then picked up a win in his second start, going 7 innings and only giving up 2 hits.
Orioles Offense Breakdown
When it comes to the Orioles’ offensive projections, Gunnar Henderson is not only the top projected hitter on the team, but his hits and home run projections are both in the top 7 in the league today. Anthony Santander has the best odds to hit a home run for the Orioles, with the 5th best odds in the league. Ryan Mountcastle’s home run projection is 12th in the league today.
The Royals are currently in 2nd place in the AL Central, trailing the Guardians by just one game. So far, they have a record of 13-7. Kansas City is coming off a series win over the White Sox and Orioles and, so far, has a home record of 9-2.
Looking at their overall series record, the Royals are 3-3. When playing at home, they have been the underdog in seven games and have gone 5-2 in those contests. Their overall underdog record for the season is 7-5.
When the Royals win, they win big, with an average run margin of 4.8 runs per game. They are also successful against the run line, going 13-7 overall and 8-3 at home. They have covered the run line in six straight home games and are 8-4 as underdogs this season.
The Royals have had 18 games with Over/Under lines set higher than 7.5 runs this season, and the Over has hit in 11 of those games. Their combined run average for the season is 7.8 runs per game, and their Over/Under record is 7-12. Today’s O/U line is set at 7.5 runs, and their game against the Orioles went over the line of 9.5 runs in their last matchup.
Cole Ragans Gets The Start For The Royals
Cole Ragans has been solid in his first three starts of the season, but he is still looking for his first win. He has gone 6 innings in each of his first two starts, but took a loss in his first outing and then had a no-decision against the Mets. He has 22 strikeouts in 17 innings of work so far this season.
Royals Offense Breakdown
When looking at the Royals’ player projections for today, we see that Bobby Witt Jr. is not only projected to have the most hits on the team, but his total is 8th best in the league today. Witt Jr. also has the best odds to hit a home run for the Royals and his odds are 5th best in the league. Salvador Perez is 3rd on the team in terms of total hits, but his odds to hit a home run are 8th best in the league. If you’re looking for a Royals player to hit a home run, Nelson Velázquez has the best odds on the team and the 5th best odds in the league.
Orioles vs Royals Prediction
Our prediction is that the Royals will pick up a 6-5 win over the Orioles. With the Royals being the underdogs on the money line at +113, this is the bet we recommend making.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Corbin Burnes does have a better chance of picking up a win than Cole Ragans. However, we have Burnes going six innings and finishing with six strikeouts, while Ragans is projected to finish with four K’s.
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 20, 2024 Orioles, Royals