Kansas City is hosting the Red Sox today at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO, and they will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak. The Royals are 63-52 overall, while the Red Sox come in with a record of 61-51 and they are 3rd in the AL East. Boston's money line odds are +123, and the odds favor the Royals at -146.
The over/under line is currently at 8.5 runs, and the forecast for Wednesday's game calls for clear skies and temperatures in the low 90s. First pitch is set for 8:10 PM ET, and NESN will be televising this AL matchup.
Boston vs. Kansas City Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Red Sox at Royals
- Where: Kauffman Stadium Kansas City
- Date: Wednesday, August 7th
- Betting Odds KC -146 | BOS +123 O/U 8.5
Red Sox vs Royals Last Game Recap
It was a low-scoring game in the most recent game of this Red Sox vs Royals series. Boston went into the matchup as +109 underdogs and squeaked out a 6-5 win. The Red Sox had a three-run 6th inning, and the Royals could only muster two runs in the 8th inning.
Kansas City actually outhit the Red Sox in the game 8 to 7. Both teams scored one run in the 1st inning, and the Royals could only muster one more run off Red Sox starter Brayan Bello, who went just 4 2/3 innings. As for the Royals, they got a good outing from Seth Lugo, who gave up just four earned runs in 5 1/3 innings of work.
Michael Massey hit the game's only home run while going 3/4 with three RBIs, but it came in a losing effort. Masataka Yoshida had a two-hit game for the Red Sox and drove in three runs.
Red Sox Preview
Boston has been playing well lately, as they have won three straight games and are 61-51 for the season. They are 5.5 games behind the Yankees in the AL East, sitting in 3rd place.
When the Red Sox are the underdog, they have been a good bet, winning three straight games. Against the run line on the road, they have a 33-24 record and have covered the run line in 34 out of 58 games as the underdog. Their games have averaged 9.6 runs per game, and they have gone over the total in five straight games.
Kutter Crawford is looking to build off his last outing, where he picked up the win vs. the Rangers. In that outing, he went 5 1/3 innings and gave up five earned runs. Looking back further, Crawford has given up at least five earned runs in three of his last four starts. Crawford's ERA for the season is 3.81, along with a record of 7-8. Opponents are batting .224 off the right-hander this season. So far, he has made 22 starts, 11 of which were quality starts. Per nine innings, Crawford is averaging 8.6 strikeouts and just 2.11 walks.
Not only do the Red Sox lead the league in OPS, but they also have the league's top team batting average and are near the top of the league in home runs and isolated power. Overall, they are averaging 5 runs per game, which is 4th in the league. At home, they are averaging 4.7 runs per game, which is 11th in the league.
Over his last eight games, Wilyer Abreu has been on fire, going 9/26 with three homers and nine RBIs. Jarren Duran is also swinging a hot bat, as he is on an eight-game hitting streak and is batting .294 for the season. Duran is 3rd on the team with 14 homers.
Royals Preview
At home, the Royals have been solid on the run line, going 34-26, and their average run margin this season is +0.8 runs per game. The over has hit in the last two games for Kansas City, bringing their over/under record to 50-62. Today, they will be looking to avoid a sweep against the Red Sox, as they are down 0-2 in the series.
Kansas City's overall record is 63-52, and they are 5.5 games behind the Guardians in the AL Central. As favorites, the Royals are 36-22 straight up, but they have dropped four straight games at home. Their series record this season is 17-18-1, and they have won two straight series heading into today's game.
Cole Ragans gets the start for the Royals today as he faces off against the Red Sox at home. He has made 23 starts this season and has a record of 8-7 with a 3.36 ERA. So far, Ragans has turned in 15 quality starts and is coming off an outing in which he gave up just two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. In that outing, he picked up the win. Ragans has done well to limit the damage, as he has only allowed more than three earned runs in one of his last five outings. The left-hander's ERA at home is 5.85 compared to 2.88 on the road.
So far this season, the Royals are 10th in scoring at 4.7 runs per game, and they have been even better at home, averaging 5.2 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .253, which is the 7th best mark in the league, and are also one of the best teams in the league at avoiding strikeouts. Kansas City's team on-base percentage is 13th in the league, and they have the 10th best slugging percentage in the league.
Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr. are both among the league leaders in home runs, with each having 20 homers so far this season. Witt Jr. has been especially good at the plate, batting .343 for the season. Over his last eight games, Vinnie Pasquantino has five home runs and is batting .371.
Red Sox vs. Royals Prediction: Royals ML -146
Our prediction for this Red Sox vs. Royals matchup is that the Royals will pick up a 6-5 win at home. If you're looking to make a bet on this game, we would recommend taking the Royals on the money line, where the payout is -146.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Cole Ragans is projected to finish with five strikeouts, which is better than Kutter Crawford, who we have finishing with four. Offensively, we have the Red Sox finishing with nine hits compared to the Royals with nine.
