The red hot Kansas City Royals continue their four game set with the Tampa Bay Rays tonight as the two clubs meet for game two at Tropicana Field. This evening’s contest, which, at least on paper, features a lopsided pitching matchup, is scheduled to get underway at 7:10pm ET. MLB Free Picks and Odds at 5Dimes have the hosting Rays listed as a -157 moneyline favorite and the Over/Under set at eight runs (Under favored at -115 odds).

 

Kansas City won for the eighth time in its last nine games last night and it did so with ease. Playing as a +129 road dog, the Royals blasted the Rays 10-1 to improve to 31-33 overall.

 

KC’s usually impotent offense will look to keep things rolling tonight with Matt Moore on the hill for the Rays.

 

Moore’s season numbers are solid (he brings an 8-2 record and 3.78 ERA into this evening’s start), but his June totals are ugly to say the least. In his two previous starts this month Moore allowed 19 hits, 14 earned runs, and seven walks over just seven innings. Tampa Bay was outscored in those two outings 20-8.

 

The 35-31 Rays, who are five games back of the first place Red Sox in the tightly contested AL East, will look to get their offense cranked up tonight against KC’s fifth starter, Luis Mendoza.

 

Mendoza, who is 1-3 with a 4.19 ERA in 10 starts this season, has allowed two or fewer earned runs in four of his last five starts. Mendoza is also coming off his best outing of the season, a 2-0 win over Houston in which he allowed four hits and no runs over seven innings.

 

Mendoza is 1-1 with a 2.81 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and .231 batting average against in six road appearances this season (five starts).

 

Notable Trends: The Over is 5-0 in the Rays last five games as a home favorite with a total between 7.5 and 8 runs.

 

 

Kansas City Royals +1.5 (-150), Over 8 (-105), +147 (Moneyline)

Tampa Bay Rays -1.5 (+130), Under 8 (-115), -157 (Moneyline)

 

Vegas Runner, Bryan Leonard and host Steve Fezzik discuss the current MLB replay system, with ideas on how to tweak it.