At 8:10 PM ET, the Angels and Royals will face off in an AL matchup. This one is being played at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, and the Royals are the heavy favorite on the money line at -195. The Angels are 5th in the AL West with a record of 54-72.</
Wednesday's forecast in Kansas City calls for clear skies and temperatures in the mid-80s. Johnny Cueto will go for the Angels, while the Royals are starting Michael Lorenzen.
Los Angeles vs. Kansas City Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Angels at Royals
- Where: Kauffman Stadium Kansas City
- Date: Wednesday, August 21st
- Betting Odds KC -195 | LAA +162 O/U 9.5
Angels vs Royals Last Game Recap
It was all Los Angeles in the last game of this series, as the Angels took down the Royals by a score of 9-5. The Angels offense only had two more hits than the Royals and struck out 13 times, but still picked up a convincing win. Heading into the game, they were at +167 on the money line.
Kansas City got off to a good start in this one, scoring two runs in the first and adding three more in the 4th. As for the Angels, they didn't get on the board until the 4th but exploded for three runs in the 6th and added two more in the 7th. Both teams scored their final runs in the 9th.
Tyler Anderson got the win for the Angels, going six innings and giving up five earned runs. He finished the game with just two strikeouts and allowed two home runs. Cole Ragans had a rough outing for the Royals, taking the loss.
Angels Preview
Los Angeles Angels games have averaged 8.9 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 61-60. When the over/under line is set at 9.5 runs, their record is 4-8. The Angels are 48-57 as the underdog and 6-15 as the favorite this season.
With a 54-72 record, the Angels are in 5th place in the AL West, 14.5 games behind the Astros. They have lost three straight series and will look to pick up a win today. On the run line, the Angels are 67-59 overall and 33-26 on the road.
Johnny Cueto is coming off a season in which he made 10 starts and 13 appearances for the Marlins. His record was 1-4, and his ERA finished at 6.02. Cueto's WHIP for the season was 1.26, and he allowed a batting average of .254. His FIP for the year was 7.02, and he finished with one quality start. Cueto's strikeout-to-walk ratio for the season was 2.6, and he averaged 1.2 walks per game.
Los Angeles has been one of the worst offensive teams in the league this season, averaging just 4 runs per game, which is 25th in the league. They have been even worse at home, averaging just 3.9 runs per game. As a team, the Angels are batting .235, which is 16th in the league, and have the 20th ranked home run total in the league.
Shortstop Zach Neto comes into the game batting .262 this season and leads the team with 19 homers and 63 RBIs. However, he has hit just .212 over his last eight games. Right fielder Jo Adell is batting just .207 for the season but is on a four-game hitting streak. Adell is also 2nd on the team with 18 homers.
Royals Preview
Kansas City has a 70-56 overall record and is 3.5 games behind the Guardians in the AL Central. The Royals are 26-13 against divisional opponents this season. They have an 18-20-2 series record and are currently tied in their series vs. the Angels.
This season, the Royals' games have averaged 8.9 runs, and their over/under record is 57-65. When the over/under line is 9.5 runs, their O/U record is 6-6. Kansas City's run line record is 71-55, with an average run margin of 4.1 runs per game in their wins.
Michael Lorenzen is coming off a solid outing in which he picked up the win. Against the Reds on August 16th, he went 5 2/3 innings, giving up just one earned run. Looking at his overall numbers, Lorenzen has made 21 starts and has a record of 6-6. His ERA for the season is 3.68, along with a WHIP of 1.28. This year, opponents are batting .220 off the right-hander. Lorenzen has turned in eight quality starts and is averaging 6.6 strikeouts per nine innings. For the season, he has issued 4.22 walks per nine innings.
The Royals come into the game as one of the league's best offensive teams, averaging 4.9 runs per game. They have been even better at home, averaging 5.3 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .257, which is the 4th best mark in the league, and are also one of the league's best teams at avoiding strikeouts. Kansas City's offense is led by Bobby Witt Jr., who is hitting .352 for the season and has gone 13/31 with three homers over his last eight games.
Witt Jr. is not only leading the Royals in batting average, but his 25 homers are the best mark on the team and 12th best in the MLB. Vinnie Pasquantino has 18 homers this season, which is 3rd best in the league, and has driven in 95 runs, which is the best mark in the MLB.
Angels vs. Royals Prediction: Angels ML +162
Given the payout odds, we really like the Angels on the money line today, as they are paying out at +162. Our predicted final score is 6-5 in favor of the Angels, and with the payout odds, this is a great value pick.
Looking at the starters, Michael Lorenzen is predicted to finish with just four strikeouts, which is the second-worst among starters today. As for the Royals, they are projected to finish with the 11th most runs today and are also predicted to finish with the 16th most home runs.
