The Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins open a four-game series at Target Field on Thursday night. The Royals are coming off an 8-6 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks and six straight losses.
KC has the worst record in the American League and only a game better than the 13-30 Cincinnati Reds. They haven’t won since a 6-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on May 18. Due to this recent slide, the Royals are 14-28 and 12 games behind the Twins in the AL Central.
That’s not the best company to be in, but there wasn’t much expected of the Royals this season. They are pretty well hitting par for what most people expected out of them.
The Detroit Tigers were playing bad baseball to open the season, so that enabled them to stay out of the basement. However, it was a matter of when not if, before the Tigers pulled ahead and likely leaving the Royals at the bottom for the rest of the year.
What made the Royals so good during their World Series trip in 2015 was a dominant bullpen and timely hitting. They didn’t have the best offense, but clutch hitting and a shutdown bullpen can get it done in the postseason.
There were a lot of players from that team who wanted to get paid. The Royals couldn’t keep the roster together, with the bullpen taking the biggest dive in Kansas City.
Luplow levels it. pic.twitter.com/cNml36PJUA
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) May 25, 2022
It’s been a problem for the Royals, especially this year, where they are often giving up leads late in games. That happened in their last two outings against the Diamondbacks.
The Royals stormed ahead for a 4-0 lead in the top of the 1st on Monday at Chase Field. That turned into a 9-5 loss. A blown lead was the story in a 8-6 loss in the series finale as well.
Daniel Lynch and Devin Smeltzer are scheduled to be on the hill tonight in this matchup. Head below for our free Royals vs. Twins prediction on May 26, 2022.
Kansas City Royals vs. Minnesota Twins Live Betting Odds:
| Teams | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| KC Royals | +1.5 (-135) | +148 | Over 8 (-125) |
| Minnesota Twins | -1.5 (+115) | -180 | Under 8 (+105) |
|
Rank
|
Betting Site
|
Bonus | Bet Now |
|---|---|---|---|
1 |
BetOnline
|
50% up to $1,000 | Go to Site |
| 2 | 
Bovada
|
50% up to $1,000 | Go to Site |
| 3 | 
BetUS
|
125% up to $2,500 | Go to Site |
| 4 | 
Everygame
|
100% up to $500 | Go to Site |
| 5 | 
MyBookie
|
100% up to $1,000 | Go to Site |
| Team Data | KC Royals | Minnesota Twins |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Record | 14-28 | 27-17 |
| Away/Home Record | 6-13 | 15-9 |
| Batting Average | .233 | .239 |
| Batting Average Away/Home | .228 | .230 |
| Runs Per 9 | 3.74 | 4.37 |
| Team ERA | 4.91 | 3.31 |
| Team ERA Away/Home | 5.44 | 2.96 |
Royals vs. Twins Prediction:
The Royals will send lefty Daniel Lynch to the bump looking for a strong performance. Lynch is entering Target Field with an ERA of 4.01 and a 1.37 WHIP. He’s coming off his first year in the major leagues.
Lynch is coming off a poor start six days ago versus the Twins at Kauffman Stadium. He was tagged for 5 hits and 4 earned runs through 3.2 innings of work. Lynch has a 4.26 ERA and 1.74 WHIP through his previous three outings.
The Twins are hitting .254 with a .280 OBP in 49 at-bats versus Lynch. They’ve notched 6 RBIs during htat time.
It may not matter if Lynch is having a solid outing because of how bad the Royals bullpen can be on the bump. The Royals bullpen is second-last in the majors with an ERA of 4.86 and a 1.46 WHIP.
The Twins don’t need the Royals pitching to bomb in this one completely to win. That’s if Devin Smeltzer continues in his current form.
KC Royals vs. Minnesota Twins Betting Trends:
Royals
- Record (Last 10): 2-8
- 0-5 overall in their previous five games after a loss
- 0-4 overall in their previous four games versus the AL Central
- 0-7 overall in their previous seven games after conceding 5 or more runs
- 3-10 overall in their previous 13 games versus a left-handed starter
- 1-4 overall in their previous five games on a Thursday
Twins
- Record (Last 10): 8-2
- 8-0 overall in their previous eight games versus a left-handed starter
- 4-0 overall in their previous four first game of a series
- 20-6 overall in their previous 26 games as a betting favorite
- 10-2 overall in their previous 12 games versus a right-handed starter
- 11-2 overall in thier previous 13 games after scoring 2 or fewer runs
Smeltzer is off to a fast start with an ERA of 1.74 and a 1.06 WHIP. He has been on point across 10.1 innings of work.
In his first appearance this season, Smeltzer allowed 3 hits and 1 earned run versus the Indians. He came back with another strong performance against the Royals in a 6-4 win at Kauffman.
Smeltzer conceded 5 hits and 1 earned run in 5.1 innings on the road. Now, Smeltzer gets the Royals at home in a rematch.
The Twins have a fine bullpen, with a team ERA of 3.58 and 1.23 WHIP. This far surpasses what the Royals have accomplished from their relievers this season.
Overall, the Twins have the fourth-best pitching staff with 3.57 runs allowed per 9 innings. They have an ERA of 3.31 and a 1.19 WHIP, with a 2.96 ERA and 1.22 WHIP at home.
I’d side with the Twins in this one. They carry some value on the runline to win by at least 2 runs tonight.
MORE FREE SPORTS BETTING PICKS!
