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After dropping the first two games of their 4-game set with the Kansas City Royals, the Tampa Bay Rays look for the series split on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Kansas City, who currently sit last in the AL Central, will try to take a third win in four in Tampa, against the team with the best home record in the American League. That\u2019s likely one of the reasons why the Royals are road dogs in the MLB odds<\/a>.<\/p>\n First pitch goes tonight at 12:10pm ET from Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, FLA with MLB TV providing the broadcast coverage.<\/p>\n Read below as I share my Royals vs Rays prediction, prop picks, updated odds and betting splits.<\/p>\n The Royals pitching staff has struggled to contain opponents, with their starters carrying a combined 4.36 ERA and their bullpen providing little relief with a 4.82 ERA.<\/p>\n Conversely, the Rays boast a much stronger rotation overall, supported by a collective 3.37 starter ERA. Offensively, they hold an advantage in getting on base, hitting .257 as a team compared to a .248 average for the visitors. With elite bats anchoring the lineup, they present a tough hurdle today.<\/p>\n Looking at the MLB probable pitchers<\/a>, Seth Lugo has been heavily utilized, providing a solid 3.64 FIP that mirrors his 3.69 ERA. Despite a modest 6.96 K\/9, he generally limits damage. However, he hit a significant slump recently. Over his last 10 outings, his ERA ballooned to 5.17 with a concerning 1.59 WHIP.<\/p>\n The Rays will go with an opener, righty Casey Legumina, and leave the bullpen to do much of the heavy lifting. But that\u2019s not exactly the best formula for a low-scoring affair, as Tampa\u2019s bullpen has a Bottom-8 ERA, at 4.69.<\/p>\n I am backing the Over because both starting pitchers have surrendered their fair share of damage this season. Kansas City has also cashed the Over in seven of their last 10 starts.<\/p>\n Seth Lugo Over 4.5 Strikeouts (+120<\/strong> at DraftKings<\/a>):<\/strong> Lugo averages roughly 5.69 innings per start, consistently pitching deep enough into games to accumulate punchouts against a strikeout-prone lineup.<\/p>\n Yandy Diaz Over 1.5 Total Bases (+100<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong> at DraftKings<\/a><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>)<\/strong>: Diaz had four hits in Tampa\u2019s win on Wednesday, and he\u2019s picked up at least two total bases in six of his last seven games. He has a double and a home run against Lugo in his career.<\/p>\n The graphic above shows the best available odds, which are subject to change. Be sure to use the BetMGM promo code<\/a> to bet on Royals vs Rays or any other MLB game.<\/em><\/p>\n The odds position the home squad as clear moneyline favorites at -136 at FanDuel. On the runline, they\u2019re actually getting +158 odds to win by at least two runs.<\/p>\n As for the visitors, they enter Thursday as +120 underdogs at bet365<\/a>, and the market shows respect to the visitors, pricing them to keep the game within a run at a steep -178, with odds from Caesars<\/a>.<\/p>\n The total has stayed at 8.5 runs, with the Over getting -104 odds at DraftKings<\/a>.<\/p>\nRoyals vs Rays Prediction<\/h2>\n
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\n<\/span><\/p>\nKC Royals vs TB Rays Props<\/h2>\n
Royals vs Rays Odds & Betting Splits<\/h2>\n