The forecast for Thursday's matchup between the Royals and Athletics calls for broken clouds and temperatures in the mid-50s. This AL matchup is getting started at 3:37 PM ET from Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, CA. Kansas City is 41-34, while the Athletics are 28-48 overall. Mitch Spence is starting for the Athletics, and the Royals are starting Seth Lugo.
Kansas City is currently on a three-game losing streak and is the heavy favorite on the money line today at -153. The Athletics have won two straight, but they are the +129 underdogs for Thursday's game. The over/under line is currently 7.5 runs, and BSKC will be televising this game.
Kansas City vs. Oakland Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Royals at Athletics
- Where: Oakland Coliseum Oakland
- Date: Thursday, June 20th
- Betting Odds KC -153 | OAK +129 O/U 7.5
Royals vs Athletics Last Game Recap
It was all Oakland in the last game of this series, as the A's took down the Royals by a score of 5-1. The A's offense only had two more hits than the Royals and struck out seven times, but still picked up a convincing win. Heading into the game, they were at +159 on the money line.
Kansas City got on the board first with one run in the 5th inning, but the A's responded with two runs in the bottom half of the 5th and added three more in the 7th. As for the Royals, they didn't score another run after the 5th.
Luis Medina got the win for the A's out of the bullpen, going 5 2/3 innings and giving up just one run. Cole Ragans got the start for the Royals and took the loss, giving up two earned runs in six innings of work.
Royals Preview
Overall, the Royals have struggled recently, losing three straight games and two consecutive series. They are currently six games behind the Guardians in the AL Central with a 41-34 record.
Against the run line, the Royals have been profitable with a 44-31 record, including 23-16 at home and 21-15 on the road. As underdogs, they have been particularly strong, going 29-16. The average run total in their games this season is 8.8 runs per game, and their over/under record is 34-39.
Seth Lugo gets the start for the Royals today as he faces the Athletics on the road. He has made 15 starts this season and has a record of 10-2 with a 2.40 ERA. Lugo's WHIP for the season is currently 1.05. In his last outing, he gave up two earned runs in six innings of work, picking up the win vs. the Dodgers. Before that, he had given up at least five earned runs in three straight starts. Lugo has been much better on the road, coming in with a 7-0 record and 1.96 ERA compared to 3-2 with a 3.16 ERA at home.
So far this season, the Royals are averaging 4.8 runs per game, which is 8th in the league. At home, they are even better, averaging 5.4 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .249, and their team on-base percentage of .312 is 11th in the league. The Royals have been tough to strike out this season, as they have the 4th fewest strikeouts in the league.
Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez have been two of the Royals' top power hitters this season, as they both have 11 homers, which is 12th in the league. Witt Jr. comes into the game batting .323, while Perez is hitting .295. Over his last five games, MJ Melendez has gone 5/13 with a home run and four RBIs.
Athletics Preview
At home, the Athletics have an over/under record of 10-13 when the total line is 7.5 runs. Their games have averaged 8.4 runs this season, and their overall over/under record is 33-41. Oakland's run line record is 38-38, with a better record at home (18-19) than on the road (20-19). As underdogs, they are 36-32 against the run line, but as favorites, they are just 2-6.
Currently, the Athletics are 28-48, and they have lost seven straight series. They are 16 games behind the Mariners in the AL West, with a 6-14 divisional record. Oakland has won two consecutive games, following a stretch where they went 1-8 in their previous nine games.
Mitch Spence is looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Twins, as he gets the start for the Athletics today. Against the Twins, he went 5 2/3 innings, giving up four earned runs, and one homer. Spence finished with a no-decision in the outing. Leading up to that start, he had gone 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA in his previous three outings. Overall, Spence has made six starts, 17 appearances, and has a record of 4-3 with a 3.95 ERA. The right-hander has a WHIP of 1.21 and has issued just 2.21 walks per nine innings.
Heading into today's game, the Athletics are 28th in the league in scoring, averaging just 3.7 runs per game. They have been even worse on the road, averaging only 3.2 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting just .222, which is 19th in the league, and are also near the bottom of the league in strikeouts. However, the Athletics have been good at hitting home runs this season, and are 5th in the league in that category.
Abraham Toro comes into the game with a batting average of .256 and has gone deep six times this season. JJ Bleday and Brent Rooker have been the Athletics' top power threats, with Bleday hitting 10 homers and Rooker going deep 13 times. Rooker's 44 RBIs are 13th in the league and the top mark on the Athletics. Over his last four games, Zack Gelof has two homers and is 4/15.
Royals vs. Athletics Prediction: Royals ML -153
Our pick for this Royals vs. Athletics matchup is to take the Royals on the money line at -153. We have the Royals winning this one by a score of 5-4. If you're looking for a parlay, you could also look to take the under, as the line is sitting at 7.5 runs, and we have this one finishing with nine runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Seth Lugo is projected to finish with five strikeouts, and Mitch Spence is projected to finish with five as well. Spence has the fourth-best chances of picking up a win among starters today, but we still have the Royals winning this one.
