Free MLB Pick: Rangers vs. Royals Odds
Looking for Texas Rangers vs. Kansas City Royals free MLB predictions? MLB betting sees the Rangers taking on the Royals on Thursday, April 1st, 2021 at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all MLB baseball matchups all season long so stay tuned for more FREE daily MLB predictions like this Rangers Royals free pick.
2021 MLB Handicapping
(0-0) Texas Rangers vs. Kansas City Royals (0-0)
Date: Thursday, April 1st, 2020
Time: 4:10 PM ET
Venue: Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri
Projected Pitchers: Kyle Gibson vs. Brad Keller
MLB Moneyline Odds: Rangers +140 | Royals -150
MLB RunLine Betting Odds: Texas +1.5 -115 | Kansas City -1.5 +125
MLB Baseball Gambling Total: O/U 8.5
The Kansas City Royals will open the 2021 MLB season by hosting the Texas Rangers at Kauffman Stadium on Thursday. The Royals had an excellent spring, but that usually doesn’t translate to the regular season.
Both these teams are pegged to finish at the bottom of their divisions with Vegas giving the Rangers a 68.5 win total and the Royals a 73.5 win total for this season.
Texas Rangers
It has now been almost a decade since the Rangers were one out away from their first World Series title in the club’s history. Now they find themselves in a middle of a rebuild and have not made the postseason since 2016.
Last season the Rangers finished fifth in the AL West with a 22-38 record. They were one of the only teams in the entirety of baseball to not have a player hit over the .300 threshold for the season (with a minimum of 50 AB’s). Joey Gallo was supposed to be a big threat in the middle of the lineup but ultimately struggled all season hitting just .181 on the year and 10 home runs after being an All-Star in 2019.
The Rangers rotation is looking pretty bleak with Cory Kluber leaving in free agency and Lance Lynn being traded to the White Sox in the offseason. That leaves last year’s third option in Kyle Gibson to be the man at the top of the rotation. Gibson posted a 2-6 record with a 5.35 ERA in his first year in Texas after leaving the Twins in free agency last season.
Kansas City Royals
After finishing off a terrific 16-8 spring the Royals will try to claim the AL Central division for the first time since 2015 when they won it all. Having Salvador Perez healthy is going to be key for Kansas City as he was a pivotal part of their postseason run in 2015. He missed a majority of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in late 2019.
Brad Keller will get the opening day start for the Royals. The fourth-year pitcher has improved every season in the big leagues and had a breakout 2020 to put him in this position. Keller posted a 2.47 ERA last season in nine big league starts after being called up from Triple-A.
MLB Baseball Betting Trends:
- Texas is 5-1 SU in their last 6 games against Kansas City.
- Texas is 2-13 SU in their last 15 games on the road.
- The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Texas’ last 20 games when playing on the road against Kansas City.
- The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Kansas City’s last 9 games.
- Kansas City is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games.
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Kansas City’s last 6 games against Texas.
- Kansas City is 8-2 SU in their last 10 games at home.
Free Texas Rangers vs. Kansas City Royals MLB Prediction:
I love the over 8.5 in this game, with two teams that don’t have the best pitching staff. Kyle Gibson last season posted a 5.35 ERA in his 11 starts as a Ranger and Brad Keller gives up a lot of walks which means there will be opportunities for the Ranger’s hitters to drive in runs as well. I have this game projected a 9.2 runs, so there is a bit of value on the over 8.5 and that’s why I’m riding with it.
4* Free MLB Betting Pick: Over 8.5
If you’re looking for more MLB picks like this Texas Rangers vs. Kansas City Royals matchup we’ll be providing 4* free MLB plays on the blog all season long, and check out our Experts for guaranteed premium & free MLB Baseball picks!
Register here for a FREE MLB Betting Account Now for Daily Free Picks & More Special Offers!
