Prediction: Oakland Athletics VS Kansas City Royals 2025-06-13
Folks, we've got a real barnburner of a matchup for you tonight at Kauffman Stadium, where the Kansas City Royals are set to host the Oakland Athletics. The Royals, with their sparkling 34-34 record, are favored to win, and for good reason - they're sitting pretty with a strong team ERA that ranks fifth in the majors. Meanwhile, the Athletics are limping in with a 26-44 record and a pitching staff that's sporting a ghastly 5.65 ERA, which ranks a paltry 30th in MLB.
The Royals' ace, Michael Wacha, is set to take the mound, while the Athletics are sending Luis Severino to try and stifle the KC offense. Now, Wacha's performance has been a bit of a rollercoaster this season, but he's got the skills to shut down the A's. And let's be real, when you're facing an Athletics team that's won only 23.5% of their games when they're underdogs of at least +144, you've got to like the Royals' chances.
The Royals' key players to watch include Bobby Witt Jr., who's batting .287 with 8 HR and 37 RBI, Maikel Garcia, who's hitting .307 with 7 HR and 31 RBI, and Vinnie Pasquantino, who's got 10 HR and 38 RBI. For the Athletics, Jacob Wilson's off to a hot start with a .366 batting average (though 0 HR and 0 RBI), and Brent Rooker's trying to bring some power with 15 HR.
Now, let's talk odds. The Royals are priced around -162 to -159, while the Athletics are sitting at +144 to +162. The moneyline consensus seems to be leaning Royals, and I don't blame them. The Athletics just can't seem to get it together, especially on the mound.
As for the best bet, I'm going to recommend the Royals on the moneyline. With their strong pitching and solid hitting, they've got the edge they need to take down the A's. And if you're feeling adventurous, take the under on the totals - 8.5 seems like a reasonable number given the Royals' stingy pitching and the A's lack of offense.
The data-driven pick: Kansas City Royals -162
The underdog win rate in baseball is around 41%, but the Athletics' chances are significantly lower given their dismal record as underdogs. Meanwhile, the Royals have a 51.9% win rate when favored, so it's hard to bet against them here.
Side with the Royals and enjoy the under - the smart money's on KC and the low-scoring game.
Created: June 13, 2025, 5:54 a.m. GMT