MLB Betting Preview (April 29): Royals vs. Blue Jays predictions
By Greg Warren
48 minutes agoThe Toronto Blue Jays will welcome a familiar foe, the Kansas City Royals, to Rogers Centre on Monday night to kick off a three-game series.
Kansas City took three of four games from Toronto when the two teams clashed last week at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals held the Blue Jays to just 10 total runs over the course of the series that concluded last Thursday with a rain-shortened finale.
The Blue Jays snapped a five-game slide with a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, while the Royals dropped two of three games to the Tigers in Detroit over the weekend.
Let’s dive into the game odds for Monday’s clash between the Royals and Blue Jays via bet365:
Royals vs. Blue Jays odds
| Royals Moneyline Odds | +105 |
| Blue Jays Moneyline Odds | -125 |
| Runline Odds | Blue Jays -1.5 (+140), Royals +1.5 (-165) |
| Over/Under | 9 runs (over +105, under -125) |
| Time/Date | April 29, 7:07 p.m. ET |
| TV | Broadcast: Sportsnet 1, Sportsnet+ |
Betting Kansas City Royals (17-12 SU, 17-12 ATS, 9-18-2 o/u)
Kansas City ran into a hot pitcher on Sunday, recording just one run and four hits over seven innings against Tigers lefty Tarik Skubal. However, the Royals have been swinging the bats adequately to start the season, averaging 4.6 runs per game (13th in MLB).
But this team’s early success can almost solely be attributed to its fine pitching and defence. The Royals are holding opponents to an average of 3.1 runs per game, the best mark in the majors, and they boast the fifth-best team ERA (3.18) while holding the opposition to just 19 home runs to this point, the third-lowest mark in baseball.
It seems like another Royals player is always being featured in the sports highlights on a nightly basis over the last week. Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. was the latest to turn in a spectacular play with this gem on Sunday afternoon.
Betting Toronto Blue Jays (14-15 SU, 15-14 ATS, 11-18 o/u)
The Blue Jays should have momentum in their favour after a big win over the loaded Dodgers on Sunday, but the team has consistently struggled to plate runs. In fact, the Jays, who are averaging just 3.6 runs per game this season (26th in the majors), have now gone a stretch of 20 consecutive games without scoring more than six runs in a contest, so don’t expect an offensive explosion on Monday.
Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are off to slow starts at the plate with both players hitting a little over .200, and they have just four home runs and 20 RBIs between them. Luckily, Daulton Varsho (six homers, 14 RBIs) and Justin Turner (slashing .306/.390/.471) have provided just enough pop to keep the team afloat as we approach the end of April.
As previously mentioned, the Blue Jays were held to just 10 runs by the Royals over four games last week, although Toronto will have home advantage this time around.
Probable starting pitchers
Kansas City: RHP Jonathan Bowlan (first appearance of the season)
The Royals are expected to promote Bowlan from Triple-A Omaha to make Monday’s start. He’s 3-1 with a 2.57 ERA in the minors this season and boasts 21 strikeouts across 21 innings. The right-hander appeared in two games for the Royals last season, recording three strikeouts in three innings of work. Bowlan is being promoted to the starting rotation due to the recent elbow injury suffered by Alec Marsh.
Toronto: RHP Yariel Rodriguez (0-1, 3.86 ERA, 11.57 K/9, 1.54 WHIP
This will be the second time in less than a week that the Royals have seen Rodriguez, who took the loss last Wednesday after surrendering three earned runs on six hits over four innings of work. He managed just two strikeouts in that outing after collecting 13 over his first two big-league starts. It’ll be interesting to see how he responds the second time around against the Royals.
Weather
The roof at Rogers Centre will likely be closed as cool temperatures around 10 C are expected with light showers.
MLB betting trends
- The Blue Jays have been favourites 17 times this season and have won 11 of those games straight-up (64.7% hit rate).
- The under is 6-1 in Toronto’s last seven games.
- The under is 6-1-1 in Kansas City’s last eight games.
- The Royals have been underdogs 20 times this season and have won 11 of those games straight-up (55% hit rate).
MLB player prop trends
- Bichette snapped an 0-for-18 slump with a hit on Sunday, but he’s failed to reach his hits line of 1.5 in seven straight games and 12 of his last 15. He’s -185 to record under 1.5 hits.
- Witt Jr. has driven in at least one run in three straight games, recording five RBIs during that span. He’s +130 to record at least one RBI.
- Royals infielder Maikel Garcia has posted two or more total bases in three straight games and six of the last seven. He’s +100 to surpass that mark against the Jays.
Royals vs. Blue Jays predictions
- Under 9 runs: -125. These teams played under the game total in all four matchups last week so why not keep riding that trend? Keep playing the under until the Jays prove they can consistently put up some runs on the board.
- Rodriguez over 2.5 earned runs: +100. It’s never easy for a starting pitcher to face the same lineup in back-to-back starts and the Cuban righty didn’t fare well against the Royals the first time around with the team hitting a combined .277 against him over four innings.
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