The Los Angeles Dodgers and Kansas City Royals will finish their three-game series in Kansas City on Sunday. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes a Dodgers-Royals prediction and pick we have laid out below.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have won an astonishing 13 games in a row, putting their record at 79-33. LA leads the NL West by 17 games over the second-place San Diego Padres, and has all but secured its playoff spot as fall fast approaches. The funny thing is, based on run differential, the Dodgers are actually projected to be 81-31.
Kansas City welcomed a juggernaut to town this weekend, and it has gone as expected. With a 47-68 record, Kansas City is in fourth place in the AL Central, looking for signs its rebuild is working. Still, the Royals have gone 6-4 in their last 10 games, so maybe there is some encouragement here.
Here are the Dodgers-Royals MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Dodgers-Royals Odds
Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (-154)
Kansas City Royals: +1.5 (+128)
Over: 9 (-105)
Under: 9 (-115)
Why The Dodgers Could Cover The Spread
Los Angeles is the best team in baseball over the last month, and possibly the whole season. The offense is unstoppable, and the pitching staff has been otherworldly.
Los Angeles is second in the league with 236 doubles, fifth with 150 home runs and third with a .263 batting average. Mookie Betts paces the team with 26 home runs despite missing some time with different injuries. Freddie Freeman has been a great addition to the club, leading the team with a .323 batting average and 37 doubles. In line with their reputation for player development, catcher Will Smith has emerged as a dominant offensive threat. Smith is one of the best defensive catchers in baseball, valuable in himself, but has added 17 home runs and 20 doubles.
Coming off a game in which they scored 13 runs, this Dodgers offense looks unstoppable.
Tyler Anderson takes the mound in this one, sporting a 2.72 ERA in his 21 appearances (19 starts). Anderson has gone 5-0 with a 1.83 ERA over his last seven starts, an incredible stretch. Anderson’s impeccable control compensates for pedestrian stuff, with his 5.0% walk rate ranking in the 90th percentile. Without an overpowering fastball, Anderson throws his changeup 32.7% of the time, holding batters to a .159 batting average. Los Angeles’ 2.89 overall ERA is first in the league, and their 3.15 bullpen ERA is fourth in the league.
Gone are the days of Kenley Jansen. Instead, Evan Phillips and Caleb Ferguson are the headliners of this bullpen. Phillips revamped his slider and has a 1.40 ERA this season, while Ferguson has not allowed an earned run in his 17.2 innings.
Why The Royals Could Cover The Spread
Kansas City still has some glimmers of a strong lineup.
Longtime catcher Salvador Perez has belted 17 home runs in only 73 games, while Hunter Dozier has added 34 extra-base hits. MJ Melendez (14 home runs, 5 triples) and Bobby Witt, Jr. (15 home runs, 22 stolen bases) represent anchors of future lineups. Once Vinnie Pasquantino and Nick Pratto break out the power strokes that made them famous as prospects, this lineup can at least intimidate opposing pitchers.
Until all the pieces come together, Kansas City will continue to rank towards the bottom half of the league in most categories. On a positive note, the team’s 72 steals are eighth in the league.
Sunday’s starting pitcher, Brady Singer, is enjoying a breakout season. Drafted in the first round in 2018, Singer is in his third big-league season, easily putting together his best. Singer boasts a 3.49 ERA in 98 innings, striking out 100 batters. In his last seven starts, Singer has a 2.45 ERA, striking out 51 batters in 44 innings. Batters have hit .182 against Singer’s disappearing changeup, a pitch he almost exclusively throws to lefties.
While Kansas City’s bullpen has been bad overall, closer Scott Barlow is a bright spot, with a 2.32 ERA and 18 saves in 50 appearances.
Final Dodgers-Royals Prediction & Pick
The beat goes on for Los Angeles.
Final Dodgers-Royals Prediction & Pick: Los Angeles -1.5 (-154), under 9 (-120)
