Kansas City Royals vs. Tampa Bay Rays Odds, Line, Picks, and Prediction - July 22 | 2022 MLB Season
The Kansas City Royals will be home to play the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night. The Royals fell to the Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 on Sunday to drop to 36-56 on the year. Meanwhile, the Rays now find themselves at 51-41 on the season following their 7-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. The Rays are firmly in the playoff race and have control of the first Wild Card spot entering Friday.
Find a way.
The 2nd half starts now https://t.co/rOF3XlOLt6
"Find a way. The 2nd half starts now" - Rays
Brad Keller, who is 5-9 with a 4.15 ERA, will be starting Friday's game for Kansas City. The Rays offense he'll face ranks #19 in runs per game, and in their past seven, they're averaging 5.4 runs per contest. Last start, Keller threw seven innings, surrendering three hits and one earned run while fanning eight.
The Kansas City right-hander has respectable numbers at Kauffman Stadium, holding a 3.83 ERA while home this season, but the Rays have a scrappy offense. Keller will look to replicate his success from his final start before the All-Star break in this one.
Brad Keller, 95mph Fastball and 86mph Slider, Overlay. https://t.co/op30gkhVp4
"Brad Keller, 95mph Fastball and 86mph Slider, Overlay." - Rob Friedman
Drew Rasmussen gets the nod Friday for the Rays, holding a 5-3 record and a 3.22 ERA. He has been an above-average starter this season. He'll be matched up with a subpar Royals lineup that is ranked #26 in runs per game in the MLB.
The Rays are 9-4 in Rasmussen's last 13 starts, and they've won eight of the previous 11 in Kansas City as a team. Look for Rasmussen to have no issue with this weak-hitting Kansas City offense in the series opener.
Kansas City Royals vs. Tampa Bay Rays Match Details
Fixture: Tampa Bay Rays @ Kansas City Royals
Date & Time: Friday, July 22, 8:10 p.m. EDT
Venue: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City Royals vs. Tampa Bay Rays Betting Odds
Kansas City Royals vs. Tampa Bay Rays Best Picks
Rasmussen doesn't have a super high strikeout rate, and the Royals tend to put the ball in play a decent amount of the time. Royals hitters don't strike out a ton or walk a ton, so expect these factors to help the Rays' righty go deeper into the game.
Pick: Drew Rasmussen Over 15.5 Outs Recorded (+156)
Kansas City Royals vs. Tampa Bay Rays Betting Prediction
The Royals have been awful against teams with a winning record, sporting an 11-26 record in these matchups. They're also eight games under .500 at home and 7-10 with Keller on the hill. Expect the Rays to secure the victory on the road as they have the talent advantage all around.
Prediction: Tampa Bay Rays ML (-128)