Royals vs. Angels Pick
Can the Los Angeles Angels salvage a split with the Kansas City Royals when the two close out their weekend series today at 3:37PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, the Royals are favored slightly on the road, as they are getting odds of -115 to win. The Angels are listed with a money line of +105 to win, while the over/under total has been set at 8.5.
MLB Quick Links: Scores & Matchups | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Betting Trends | ATS Stats
The pitching matchup today has Jason Vargas (9-3, 2.10 ERA) on the mound for KC to face JC Ramirez (6-4, 4.19) of the Angels. Ramirez has been hot-and-cold this season. He allowed just two runs in his last start, but had given up 11 runs in his previous two. He has 61 strikeouts and 18 walks this season with a 1.27 WHIP. Vargas has been rolling along for KC, allowing just five earned runs in his last four starts, a total of 26.2 innings. He has 65 strikeouts this year with 18 walks and a 1.09 WHIP.
After losing the first two games of this series, Los Angeles bounced back last night with a 9-0 win. That snapped a six-game losing streak to the Royals. The Angels are now 36-36 overall and 21-15 at home. Kansas City is 32-35 overall and 15-19 on the road.
The L.A. pitching was the story of Saturday’s game. Alex Meyer pitched six innings of two-hit scoreless ball to improve to 3-3 on the season. The Angels’ bullpen also pitched three innings of perfect ball. Jake Junis took his first loss of the season, allowing five runs in 5.1 innings of work. Albert Pujols hit his 11th home run of the season and finished with three hits and two RBI to lead the Angels. Luis Valbuena added two hits and three RBI for Los Angeles.
The Royals have had Los Angeles’ number this season. While they came up flat on Saturday, I think the Royals will bounce back today. Vargas has been consistent enough to expect him to shut down this Los Angeles lineup. Kansas City isn’t known for piling up the runs, but the Royals shouldn’t need many to win today.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: KANSAS CITY ROYALS -115