Los Angeles Angels vs Kansas City Royals Preview
At 9:38 PM from Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, we have an American League matchup between the Royals and Angels. The forecast for Thursday night calls for clear skies and temperatures in the low 70s. Kansas City is currently favored, and the over/under line is at 8 runs.
The Angels come in with a record of 14-23, while the Royals are 22-16 overall. Reid Detmers is starting for the Angels, and he is facing off against Michael Wacha for the Royals. You can catch this one on FS1.
Check out BetCoco for Los Angeles Angels – Kansas City Royals odds
Los Angeles Angels Trends and Key Stats
- The Royals are 2-3 in their five most recent road games, including a 3-2 runline record.
- Conversely, the Angels have achieved a 2-3 (SU) record and 2-3 record in their last five home games.
- In the past ten games, when playing as the favorite, the Royals have a record of 6-4, while as the underdog, they have a record of 6-4.
- 5-5 is the record of the Angels as the favorite, while their record as the underdog stands at 4-6.
Los Angeles Angels vs Kansas City Royals Prediction
The Royals’s offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Brewers, closing out their series with a 6-4 win. After allowing one run to the Brewers in the top of the first, the Royals responded with two runs of their own. Kansas City went on to add another four runs in the 4th inning.
Brady Singer put together a good start for the Royals, going 5 1/3 innings and giving up just one earned run, and picking up the win. Kansas City’s offense was carried by Bobby Witt Jr., who went 2/3 with a homer and three RBIs.
Kansas City is 22-16 overall this season, and they are 2.5 games behind the Guardians for the AL Central lead. The Royals will be on the road today to take on the Angels, and they are 8-5 against other AL Central teams this year. The Royals won the final two games of their series with the Brewers.
So far, the Royals have been good at home, going 15-8, and they are just under .500 at 7-8 on the road. As the favorite, the Royals are 9-5 this year and 13-11 as the underdog. Kansas City’s overall series record is 6-6 heading into today’s game.
When the Royals are on the road, they have been a solid bet against the run line, going 24-14 overall. Their average run differential on the road is +0.8, and they have covered the run line in 10 of their 15 road games. As the underdog, they have been especially profitable, going 17-7 against the run line.
When the Royals and Brewers met, they combined for 10 runs, which was over the 8.5 run line. In the next game, they combined for 11 runs, which was over the 9.0 run line. The game after that saw just 5 runs, which was under the 8.5 run line. The Royals have gone over the total in two straight games.
Michael Wacha gets the start for the Royals today as he faces the Angels on the road. So far this season, he has made seven starts and has a record of 1-4. Wacha’s ERA is 5.50, and he has a WHIP of 1.46. In his 37 2/3 innings of work, Wacha has allowed four home runs and is coming off a start in which he gave up one homer. Wacha has made two quality starts this year and is averaging 7.41 strikeouts per nine innings. At home, his ERA is 7.11 compared to 5.56 on the road.
Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez have been the Royals’ top two hitters this season, with both batting over .320. Perez’s eight home runs are 5th in the league and the top mark on the team, while Witt Jr. is 8th in the league with five homers. Witt Jr. is also 15th in the league with 20 RBIs, which is 3rd on the team. Michael Massey has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 10/28 in his last eight games, with three homers and nine RBIs.
Overall, the Royals are averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 12th in the league. They have been a better offensive team at home this season, averaging 5 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .241 (11th) and have the league’s 2nd fewest strikeouts. Collectively, the Royals have the 12th best on-base percentage and slugging percentage in the league.
Los Angeles closed out their series vs. the Pirates with a 5-4 win on the road. The Angels were the +114 underdog going into this matchup. Things started off well for the Angels, as they got on the board with a run in the 3rd inning and added another run in the 5th.
José Soriano got the start for the Angels and took the no decision. He only lasted 4 2/3 innings, giving up four earned runs on six hits. The Angels’s bullpen was excellent, though, as they didn’t give up a run after Soriano exited the game. Adam Cimber got the win out of the bullpen, and Carlos Estévez picked up the save.
Los Angeles is seven games behind the Rangers in the AL West and have an overall record of 14-23 heading into today’s matchup vs. the Royals. The Angels will be the home team today, and they are just 4-11 at home this season.
The Angels have been a bit better on the road, going 10-12 compared to 3-9 as the home underdog. So far, they have struggled in day games, going 3-12 this season. As the underdog, the Angels are 13-20 this season and have won two straight games as the underdog.
When the Angels win, they win big, with an average run margin of +3.9 runs per game. When they lose, they lose by an average of -3.9 runs per game. Their run line record as the favorite is 0-4, but as the underdog, they are 18-15. They are 18-19 overall on the run line this season, with a run line record of 5-10 at home and 13-9 on the road.
The Angels have been involved in games with an average of 9.2 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 20-16. Their games have had an average over/under line of 9 runs per game, and when the line has been set at 8 runs, their over/under record is 3-3-1. The over has hit in two straight games for the Angels, and their games have had over/under lines set at 8 runs in 27 of their 37 games this season.
Left-hander Reid Detmers gets the start for the Angels today as he faces the Royals at home. He has made seven starts this year and has a record of 3-3 with a 4.24 ERA. Detmers’ WHIP for the season is currently 1.22. The last time he pitched, he gave up three homers and seven earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. Detmers took the loss in that outing. Before that, he had given up at least two homers in three straight starts. Opponents are batting .229 off Detmers this season.
So far this season, the Angels offense has been pretty average, as they are 19th in the league in runs per game (4.2), and they are also 9th in home runs. As a team, they are batting .244, and their team on-base percentage of .306 is 13th in the league. One area they will need to improve on is their team walk rate, as they are currently 23rd in the league in that category.
Mike Trout comes into the game with the team’s top home run total (10), but he is batting just .220 for the season. However, he has been swinging a better bat of late, going 4/11 in his last four games. Taylor Ward has been the Angels’ top hitter this season, batting .273 with a team-high 24 RBIs and seven homers.
Our prediction for today’s Royals vs. Angels game is to take the Angels on the money line at -105. We have the Angels winning this one by a score of 5-4, and with the payout for the Angels to win outright, there is no need to take the over or under.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Reid Detmers is projected to finish with the sixth-most strikeouts among starters and is also projected to go six innings. As for Michael Wacha, he is projected to finish with just four K’s and go just over four innings.
Los Angeles Angels vs Kansas City Royals Betting Tips
- Take the Angels on the moneyline
- The Angels should also cover at +1.5
- Projecting a combined 9 runs, we like the over
Los Angeles Angels Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Brandon Drury | Questionable | Hamstring |
| José Cisnero | Out | Shoulder |
| Mike Trout | Out | Knee |
| Miguel Sanó | Out | Knee |
| Anthony Rendon | Out | Hamstring |
| Robert Stephenson | Out | Elbow |
| Luis Rengifo | Questionable | Illness |
| José Quijada | Out | Elbow |
| Michael Stefanic | Out | Quadriceps |
| Sam Bachman | Out | Shoulder |
| Chase Silseth | Out | Elbow |
| Guillermo Zuñiga | Out | Pectoral |
Kansas City Royals Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Jordan Lyles | Out | Personal |
| Carlos Hernández | Out | Shoulder |
| Josh Taylor | Out | Biceps |
| Kyle Wright | Out | Shoulder |
| Kris Bubic | Out | Elbow |
| Jake Brentz | Out | Hamstring |
| Alec Marsh | Out | Forearm |
