A pair of key injuries have hurt Kansas City lately and the absence of Alex Gordon and Mike Moustakas could tip the scales in favor of Baltimore in MLB betting.
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ODDS ANALYSIS
The Kansas City Royals are the defending World Series champions and have made it there each of the past two seasons. They have a deep lineup and stellar defense, which has led to a 30-25 record on the season. The Royals are in a close race with the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers in the American League Central. The Orioles are right on the heels of the Boston Red Sox in the American League East with a record of 31-23. Baltimore doesn’t have a great starting rotation but its offense is capable of carrying the team for stretches.
PROBABLE PITCHERS
The Orioles are planning to send Chris Tillman to the mound. He is 7-1 on the season with a 3.33 ERA, and hopes to continue on that fantastic start. Tillman is on pace for a career-high in strikeouts per nine innings, but with career numbers that are lower, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he regressed in that area and in ERA as the season moves along. Tillman hopes it doesn’t happen, and he will aim to tame the Royals offense.
Kansas City will counter with Edinson Volquez, who is 5-5 this year with an ERA of 4.03. Volquez is a veteran journeyman who will eat up innings, although he isn’t among the top pitchers in the American League. It will be a tough task for him facing a potent Orioles lineup in a hitter-friendly environment.
LIVE BETTING
The Royals hope to emerge with the American League Central title once again 2016, but they are getting tested right now. Alex Gordon and Mike Moustakas collided while chasing a fly ball in May, knocking Gordon out for several weeks with a wrist injury and Moustakas for the season with a knee injury. Both were key cogs in the lineup and defensively, and filling those shoes is not easy. The Royals have unsurprisingly struggled of late and will attempt to tread water until Gordon returns, while trying to find a suitable replacement for Moustakas. Eric Hosmer has been among the team’s best hitters in 2016, hitting .321 with 10 homers and 35 RBIs and a .903 OPS, but he needs help in the lineup.
The Orioles have a lineup which is among the most powerful in the American League. Manny Machado has led the way in 2016 with a .308 average, 14 homers, 35 RBIs and a .972 OPS while Mark Trumbo has been a pleasant surprise with a .292 average, 18 home runs, 43 RBIs and a .939 OPS. Chris Davis and Adam Jones are a pair of strong veteran hitters who have started slowly but can turn it on quickly. The matchup against Volquez could be favorable for Baltimore.
QUICK PICK
The Royals have the pedigree from the past two seasons to compete with anyone, but have stumbled a bit recently due to the injuries to Gordon and Moustakas. Volquez is a veteran who doesn’t have too many bad outings, but will be challenged by an impressive Baltimore offense.
Tillman has been better than projected in 2016 and hopes to keep that up. He might regress at some point this season, but has a pretty favorable matchup since Kansas City isn’t at full strength. With a pitcher who has performed better than his counterpart this season and the more explosive bats, the Orioles should be considered the favorite in this matchup in MLB gambling.
MLB Odds: Orioles 6, Royals 4
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