Kansas City took two of the first three games in this four-game set at Tropicana Field, including a dominant 12-5 victory on Tuesday, before Tampa Bay answered with a 5-3 win on Wednesday to keep things interesting. The Rays will now look to salvage a series split this afternoon.
The Rays enter today’s finale at 44-33, sitting three games behind New York in the AL East but holding a commanding 6.5-game lead in the AL’s top Wild Card spot. The Royals, meanwhile, are 34-47 and buried eight games back in the AL Central basement – but they’ve won five of their last seven and sit just 5.5 games out of a Wild Card spot.
Seth Lugo gets the ball for Kansas City this afternoon, carrying a 3-4 record and 3.69 ERA into today’s matchup. Tampa Bay counters with Casey Legumina (2-1, 3.45 ERA), who typically tosses 1-2 innings and is likely going to serve as an opener in this one.
Royals vs. Rays Odds Today
Despite their recent hot streak and the advantage on the mound, Kansas City comes in as the road underdog against a Rays team that has been tough to beat at Tropicana Field this season:
- Moneyline: Royals +120 | Rays -140
- Run Line: Royals +1.5 (-175) | Rays -1.5 (+145)
- Total: Over 8.5 (-105) | Under 8.5 (-115)
Best Bet for Royals vs. Rays
Today’s best bet for Royals vs. Rays is powered by Hard Rock Bet‘s Stats Hub. For additional trends and data insights for every game on Thursday’s MLB slate, be sure to check out Stats Hub on mobile or desktop.
Carter Jensen to Record 1+ Hits (-145): Jensen has been one of the most consistent bats in the Royals lineup over the past month. The 22-year-old catcher has recorded a hit in 15 consecutive games – a streak that includes each of the first three contests in this series against Tampa Bay. In June alone, he’s slashing .278/.330/.494 across 79 at-bats, a massive jump from where he started the season. With Tampa starter Casey Legumina making just his second start of the season and likely handing the ball off to the Rays’ bullpen, Jensen should have plenty of opportunities to get in the hit column and keep the streak going this afternoon.
Betting Splits for KC-TB
Hard Rock Bet players are backing the hometown Rays to split the series:
- Moneyline: The Rays are pulling in 78% of all tickets and 56% of the handle.
- Run Line: Tampa Bay -1.5 is the leader in terms of tickets and handle, drawing 85% of the money against Kansas City’s 15%.
- Total: Under 8.5 is the clear lean, capturing 57% of all bets and 61% of the handle.
Top 5 Most-Bet Player Props
- Seth Lugo – Over 17.5 Outs
- Chandler Simpson – Over 0.5 Stolen Bases
- Junior Caminero – Over 0.5 HR
- Jonathan Aranda – Over 0.5 Hits
- Bobby Witt Jr. – Over 0.5 Stolen Bases
Royals vs. Rays Game Info
- 📍 Where: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida
- 📅 Date: Thursday, June 25
- ⏰ Start Time: 12:10 PM ET
- 📺💻 TV/Streaming: MLB.TV
- ⚾ Pitching Matchup: Seth Lugo (KC) vs. Casey Legumina (TB)
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