Can The Surprising Royals Capture Another Series?

Baltimore Is Favored For the 10th Game in a Row Against Kansas City in Friday’s Series Opener

One of the best road teams so far this season will square off with a strong team at home when the Baltimore Orioles hit the road for a weekend series with the Kansas City Royals. The Orioles vs Royals odds favor Baltimore to strike first in this weekend’s series.

Baltimore has won nine of the last 11 games against Kansas City after taking two of the three games in a home series earlier this month. The Orioles have won four of the last five games in Kansas City.

Baltimore carries +121 odds to cover against the run line as a 1.5-run total in the first game of the series on Friday, with -137 odds to win the game outright. In Kansas City, there are -116 odds for the Royals to win Friday’s opener, with -149 odds to cover against the run line as a 1.5-run underdog.

This is the 10th meeting in a row when the Orioles are favored against the Royals.

When looking at the American League baseball standings, the Orioles and the Royals are two of the four teams with winning percentages over .500.

Baltimore is fifth at +1200 in the odds of winning the World Series, with the Royals’ championship odds moving from +12500 to +7000 since the start of the season.

Probable Starting Pitchers

• Friday: Dean Kremer (Orioles) vs Alec Marsh (Royals)
• Saturday: Corbin Burnes (Orioles) vs Cole Ragans (Royals)
• Sunday: Cole Irvin (Orioles) vs Seth Lugo (Royals)

Orioles Flexing Their Muscles

Baltimore became the first team from the American League to score more than 100 runs this season.
The Orioles already have six players with at least four home runs. Gunnar Henderson has homered in three straight games, giving him a team-leading six home runs. He didn’t hit his sixth home run last season until the 33rd game.

Cedric Mullins, Colton Cowser, Ryan O’Hearn, Jordan Westburg, and Anthony Santander have combined for 21 home runs and 39 extra-base hits. Keep that in mind when it comes to the Orioles vs Royals odds.

The Orioles are +15 in run differential in their current four-game winning streak.

Seven of Baltimore’s last eight games went over the total.

Royals Continue to Pitch In

So, a show of hands of all of those who had the Royals leading the major leagues with a +40 run differential as each team will have played at least 20 games by the end of the weekend?

After finishing 21st in slugging percentage last season, Kansas City is currently eighth. The biggest move has come in the pitching department, as the Royals have a 2.79 team ERA, which trails only the Boston Red Sox.
Kansas City’s starting pitchers are 8-3 with a 2.39 ERA after going 31-68 with a 5.12 ERA during the 2023 season.

Starting pitchers Seth Lugo, Brady Singer, and Cole Ragans all have ERAs under 2.00. Lugo and Ragans are scheduled to start in this series so that could factor into the Orioles vs Royals odds.

Five of Kansas City’s last six games went under the total.

Who’s Hot

• Cedric Mullins, Baltimore Orioles OF: Mullins is 11-for-30 with three home runs, nine runs, and eight RBIs in his nine-game hitting streak.
• Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals C: Perez has three home runs in his last four games and is batting .310 in his previous eight games.
• John Schreiber, Kansas City Royals P: Schreiber hasn’t allowed a run in 9.2 innings in his first nine appearances.
• Dillon Tate, Baltimore Orioles P: Tate has not allowed an earned run in six innings over his last five games.

Who’s Not

• Maikel Garcia, Kansas City Royals 3B: Garcia is 0-for-20 with six strikeouts in his last five games.
• Austin Hays, Baltimore Orioles OF: Hays is 1-for-33 with nine strikeouts over his last 14 games.
• Dean Kremer, Baltimore Orioles P: Kremer surrendered 10 hits, two home runs, and eight runs in four innings in his last start.
• Will Smith, Kansas City Royals P: Smith has allowed eight hits and three runs in four innings in his last four games.

Orioles vs Royals Injury Update

Pitchers Kyle Bradish, John Means, Cionel Perez, and Tyler Wells are on the injured list for the Orioles.

Kansas City is without infielder Michael Massey as well as pitchers Jake Brentz, Carlos Hernandez, and Josh Taylor.

Orioles vs Royals Betting Preview

Two of the best teams in the American League in the early portion of the season are set to square off. Baltimore catcher Adley Rutschman and Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., the first two picks in the 2019 MLB Draft, are among the players to watch. Can the two rising stars lead their teams into the MLB playoffs?

The Orioles have won seven games in a row against American League teams and are 6-3 in their last nine road games. The Royals take an eight-game home winning streak into Friday’s opener.

Baltimore is 11-5 as a favorite, with the Royals splitting their 12 games as the underdog. 

Kansas City is tied for the American League lead with eight home wins, while Baltimore is one of four American League squads with at least twice as many wins than losses on the road.

Kansas City is 7-3 against the spread at home, while the Orioles have covered against the run line in four of the first six road games.

Just four of Kansas City’s first 10 home games have landed over the total, which is set at 8.5 runs for the series opener on Friday. Both projected starting pitchers have ERAs over 4.00, so it might be the smart play to go with the game to finish over the total.

With lefty Cole Irvin expected to start the series finale for the Orioles, bear in mind that Kansas City has won each of its first three games against left-handed starting pitchers.

Baltimore is 10-2 when facing a right-handed starting pitcher. That is something to remember when looking at the best baseball bets today.

Four of the last five times that Baltimore played at Kansas City, the game landed over the total. There figure to be plenty of runs once again when the Orioles and Royals square off.

For MLB betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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