Tampa Bay Rays vs Kansas City Royals Betting Pick & Prediction 7/3/24
The forecast for Wednesday’s matchup between the Rays and Royals calls for overcast skies and temperatures in the mid-70s. First pitch from Kauffman Stadium is set for 8:10 PM ET. BSKC is carrying the game on TV.
The Royals are slight favorites on the money line, with the odds sitting at -107 compared to the Rays at -111. This game features Ryan Pepiot for the Rays and Michael Wacha for the Royals. Tampa Bay is currently on a two-game winning streak, and they are 4th in the AL East, while the Royals are 3rd in the AL Central. The over/under line is at 8.5 runs.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS VS TAMPA BAY RAYS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Kansas City Royals Moneyline -107
This game will be played at Kauffman Stadium at 8:10 ET on Wednesday, July 3rd.
HOW TO BET THE RAYS VS ROYALS:
- We have the Royals winning by a score of 6 to 5
- If you’re looking for a run line pick, we also like the Royals to cover
- As for an over/under pick, we have this game finishing with 11 runs and like the over
Tampa Bay cruised to a 5-1 win over the Royals in the most recent game of this series. The Rays had a huge 7th inning, scoring two of their five runs and picking up three of their five hits. As for the Royals, they scored their only run in the 4th and finished with six hits.
Zack Littell got the win for the Rays out of the bullpen, going five innings and not giving up a run. He finished the game with four strikeouts but didn’t issue a walk. Brady Singer had a rough outing for the Royals, taking the loss after going five innings and giving up one run.
At the plate, Brandon Lowe and Richie Palacios each homered for the Rays. Lowe, Isaac Paredes, and Austin Meadows each had two RBIs. As for the Royals, Bobby Witt Jr. hit a home run, and MJ Melendez went 3/3.
Rays Records & Stats
The Rays are 43-42 overall and trail the Orioles by 11 games in the AL East. Tampa Bay has gone just 10-17 in divisional games this year. The Rays have won two straight games, and they are 7-3 over their last 10 games overall.
At home, the Rays are 23-25 and have gone 20-17 on the road. So far, they have been the favorite in 47 of their games, going 25-22 in those contests. Tampa Bay’s series record is 14-11-2 this year, and they have won four straight series overall.
The Rays have been a profitable team to bet on the run line this season, as they are 39-46 overall. They have been especially good on the road, going 23-14 on the run line. They have covered the run line in eight straight road games and have an average run margin of -0.4 runs per game away from home.
The Tampa Bay Rays are on the road today against the Kansas City Royals, and the over/under line for the game is set at 8.5 runs. The Rays’ games have averaged 8.7 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 42-39. When the over/under line has been set at 8.5 runs, their record is 12-13. Overall, 58.8% of their games have had lower over/under lines than 8.5 runs, and their current under streak is at 2 games.
Ryan Pepiot is looking to bounce back from a short outing vs. the Mariners, as he got the start and went 5 1/3 innings. He finished with a no-decision in the outing, giving up one earned run, eight hits, and two walks. Looking back over his last three outings, Pepiot has finished with a no-decision in each one. He has made 14 starts this season and has a record of 4-4, along with an ERA of 4.39. Opposing batters are hitting .200 off Pepiot this season. The right-hander has a BB/9 figure of 3.14 compared to 10.42 strikeouts per nine innings.
Isaac Paredes has been a bright spot for the Rays this season, as he is batting .276 with a team-high 13 home runs and 45 RBIs. However, he has gone just 6/29 over his last eight games. Yandy Diaz has also been a solid run producer for the Rays, as he is 2nd on the team with 40 RBIs and is batting .270 for the season. He has also gone 11/35 in his last eight games.
As a team, the Rays are 24th in scoring at 4 runs per game and have been even worse at home, averaging just 3.8 runs per contest. Overall, they are batting .236 and have the league’s 20th ranked slugging percentage. Tampa Bay does have a few hitters on some short hitting streaks, as Randy Arozarena comes in with a four-game streak and Jose Caballero has a three-game streak.
Royals Records & Stats
Kansas City comes into today’s game vs. the Rays with an overall record of 47-40, which has them 3rd in the AL Central. Currently, they trail the Guardians by eight games in the division. The Royals are 16-10 against other teams in the AL Central this year.
At home, the Royals have gone 30-17 this year compared to 17-23 on the road. So far, they have been good as the favorite, putting up a mark of 24-13. As the underdog overall, the Royals are 23-27 this season, and they are 13-10 as the underdog at home.
When the Royals win, they win by an average of 3.7 runs per game, which is why they have been a good team to bet on the run line this season. They are 49-38 overall on the run line and 28-19 at home. As the underdog, they are 30-20 on the run line. They have a run differential of +0.6 runs per game on the season.
The Kansas City Royals are playing host to the Tampa Bay Rays today, and the over/under line for the game is set at 8.5 runs. The combined run average for Royals games this season is 8.4 runs, and their over/under record is 36-48. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, the Royals’ record is 8-17. Overall, 25.3% of their games have had higher over/under lines than 8.5 runs, and their current under streak is at 2 games.
Michael Wacha gets the start for the Royals today and will be looking to build off his last outing, where he gave up just one earned run in 5 1/3 innings of work. In that outing vs. the Guardians, he finished with a no-decision. Looking back over his last three outings, Wacha has finished with a no-decision in all three. He has made 14 starts this year and has a record of 4-6 with a 3.91 ERA. Opponents are batting .250 off Wacha this season, and his WHIP is 1.25. Wacha has a total of six quality starts this year.
Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr. have been two of the Royals’ most consistent hitters this season, with Perez batting .278 and Witt Jr. hitting .311. Witt Jr. has been the team’s top power threat, as he is 2nd on the team with 13 homers, and Perez is right behind him with 14 long balls. Witt Jr. also leads the team with 55 RBIs, which is 9th in the league.
As a team, the Royals are averaging 4.5 runs per game, which is 13th in the league. However, they have been a better offensive team at home, where they are averaging 5.1 runs per contest. Overall, they are batting .244 and are near the top of the league in terms of avoiding strikeouts.