The Texas Rangers (17-15) travel to face off against the Kansas City Royals (19-13) on Friday, May 3rd. This game will be played at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City and televised on BSKC. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. First pitch is set for 7:40 ET.
Rangers vs Royals
Heading into their last game vs. the Nationals, the Rangers closed out the series with a 6-0 win. Leading up to the game, they were the heavy favorite at -199. Offensively, the Rangers scored their six runs on nine hits and didn’t hit a home run.
Nathan Eovaldi got the start for the Rangers, going 5 1/3 innings, and didn’t give up a run. He also issued just two walks and struck out eight Nationals batters. Jonah Heim was hot at the plate, going 2/3 with a run scored and a RBI.
Texas is 17-15 overall as they are on the road to take on the Royals today. The Rangers trail the Mariners by just a half-game in the AL West, and they are 5-8 against other teams in the division. The Rangers won the final two games of their series vs. the Nationals.
At home, the Rangers have gone 10-9 this year compared to 7-6 on the road. So far, they have been good as the favorite, going 9-8, and they are 8-7 as the underdog. Texas’ overall series record is 5-4-1, and they have won two straight series.
The Rangers have been a solid bet against the run line this season, going 15-17 overall. They have been slightly better on the road at 7-6 compared to 8-11 at home. Their average run differential is +0.6 runs per game, but that number jumps to +1.2 at home and drops to -0.3 on the road. They have been a better bet as the underdog, going 9-6 compared to 6-11 as the favorite.
When the Rangers have played games with an over/under line of 8.5, the over has hit in 3 of 8 games. The over/under record for the Rangers this season is 13-18, and the average over/under line in their games is 9 runs. The over/under line for today’s game against the Royals is set at 8.5 runs. The under has hit in the Rangers’ last two games, and the combined run average in their games this season is 8.5 runs.
Michael Lorenzen Gets The Start For The Rangers
Michael Lorenzen and the Rangers are on the road to take on the Royals. Lorenzen has started three games this season and has a 2-1 record. He picked up a win in his last outing, going 6 innings and striking out 7 against the Braves. He did give up a home run in that outing, and on the season, he has given up 1 in each of his starts.
Rangers Offense Breakdown
Adolis Garcia has been one of the league’s top power threats this season, as his eight home runs are 3rd in the league and the best mark on the Rangers. He is also 4th in the league with 25 RBIs. Garcia has gone deep once in his last five games, but he is just 4/16 in that stretch. Evan Carter has also gone deep five times this season, but he is batting just .222 overall.
Marcus Semien is on a three-game hitting streak and comes into the game with a batting average of .256 and five homers. He is also 2nd on the team with 21 RBIs. Semien has gone just 5/24 in his last six games. Overall, the Rangers are batting .249 as a team and are 7th in the league in scoring at 4.5 runs per game.
To close out their series vs. the Blue Jays, the Royals picked up a 6-1 win. Leading up to the game, they were the slight favorite at +119 on the money line. It was a big three-run 6th inning that really turned things in their favor, and the Blue Jays could only score one run, which came in the 7th.
Seth Lugo put together a good start for the Royals, going seven innings and giving up just one earned run, and picking up the win. Kansas City’s offense was carried by Michael Massey, who went 1/4 with a homer and four RBIs.
Kansas City is 19-13 overall and 2nd in the AL Central, trailing the Guardians by 1.5 games. The Royals will host the Rangers today with a 2-game winning streak, and they are 6-4 over their last 10 games. This year, they have gone 8-4 as the home underdog, and they have won three straight at home.
So far, the Royals have been good at home, putting together a record of 12-5. They are just above .500 at 7-8 on the road. The Royals’ overall series record is 5-5, and they won their most recent series vs. the Blue Jays.
The Royals have been a solid bet on the run line this season, going 21-11 overall. They have been especially strong at home, going 11-6 on the run line. Their average run margin is +1.6 runs per game overall, and they have been even better at home, with a run differential of +2.2 runs per game. They have covered the run line in three straight games at home and have been a profitable bet as an underdog, going 16-7 on the run line in those games.
Today’s over/under line of 8.5 runs in the Kansas City Royals’ game against the Texas Rangers is the highest line of the season for the Royals. In the last 10 games, the Royals have gone under the total in 7 of them, including the last 2 games. The Royals’ games have averaged 7.7 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 10-20. This season, the over/under line has been set at 8 runs on average in their games.
Brady Singer Gets The Start For The Royals
Through six starts, Brady Singer has a record of 2-1 and an ERA of 2.62. He has made two quality starts this year and is coming off an outing in which he gave up just one earned run in five innings of work. In that outing vs. the Tigers, Singer finished with a no-decision. Looking back at his last three outings, he has finished with a no-decision in each of them. The right-hander has been solid at home, coming in with a record of 2-1 and an ERA of 2.68. Singer’s ERA on the road is 2.7.
Royals Offense Breakdown
Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr. have been two of the Royals’ top hitters so far this season, with Perez leading the team with a batting average of .355 and 27 RBIs, which is 3rd in the league. Witt Jr. comes into the game batting .320 and is 2nd on the team with 18 RBIs. Witt Jr. is also on a six-game hitting streak and has gone 9/27 in his last seven games. Perez has also been hot of late, going 8/21 in his last seven games.
As a team, the Royals are averaging 4.6 runs per game and are one of the top home run hitting teams in the league. However, they have been one of the worst teams in the league at putting the ball in play, as they have the 2nd most strikeouts in the league and are near the bottom of the league in terms of batting average, on-base percentage, and batting average on balls in play.
Rangers vs Royals Prediction
Our pick for this Rangers vs. Royals matchup is to take the Rangers on the money line, with the payout currently sitting at -102. Our predicted final score is 5-4 in favor of the Rangers, and with the payout, we think this is the best way to play this one.
Looking at some of the starting pitcher projections, both Brady Singer and Michael Lorenzen are projected to go around five innings. However, we have Singer finishing with more strikeouts, as we have him finishing with five, compared to Lorenzen with four.
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 3, 2024 Rangers, Royals