Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA
Kansas City Royals vs Texas Rangers: Can the Rangers sweep the series?
The Texas Rangers are looking for their fourth straight win when they host the Kansas City Royals at Globe Life Field on Sunday.
The Royals have a promising season
The Kansas City Royals are third in the AL Central with a 42-36 record. They have lost five of the last six games including the first two in the series against the Rangers. Kansas City has a 3.91 ERA, a .241 batting average, a .313 on-base percentage, and 1.28 walks plus hits per inning pitched. Bobby Witt Jr. is the best player on the team with 99 hits, 60 runs and 12 home runs.
The Rangers are picking up their form
The Texas Rangers are third in the AL West with a 36-40 record. After losing five straight games, the defending champions won the last three. Texas has a 4.12 ERA, a .229 batting average, a .311 on-base percentage, and 1.28 walks plus hits per inning pitched. Marcus Semien leads the team with 77 hits and 52 runs while Corey Seager is on top with 14 home runs.
Betting Trends
The Rangers are 12-2 SU in the last 14 home games against Kansas City and 4-2 SU in the last 6 games against teams from the AL Central. They have played under the total run line in 10 of their last 15 home games and 9 of the last 13 games against teams from the AL. The Royals are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games overall, 1-7 SU in the last 8 games against Texas and 1-4 SU in the last five games on the road. Kansas City has played under the total run line in 6 of their last 9 games overall, 4 of the last 6 games against teams from the AL and 9 of the last 11 games played on Sunday.
Prediction and Conclusion
Both teams have had many ups and downs this season, and the Rangers are the better team lately. They won the previous two games in the series, allowing only two runs in total to the Royals. The Rangers will try to keep their winning streak alive with veteran Max Scherzer, who will make his first appearance of the season. The Royals will turn to Alec Marsh, who is 5-4 for the season with a 4.37 ERA, 65 K, 70 IP, and 1.17 WHIP. It is tough to predict how well Scherzer will play tonight, while Marsh has been quite good this season. Therefore, we go with the Royals to cover the +1.5-run spread in this one.
