The Kansas City Royals and Los Angeles Angels will likely be disappointed with how their seasons unfolded. Despite having plenty of talent, both squads fell short of playoff contention this year. As they now look to the offseason to improve, the final few games are a chance for players to leave last impressions before management seeks to upgrade the rosters. That places a different kind of pressure on tonight’s action.
The Royals come in as -112 Moneyline favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is set at 8.5 runs. Let’s dig into a preview, prediction, and best bet for this Angels vs. Royals matchup.
Royals at Angels prediction, preview
Stephen Kolek, tonight’s starter for the Royals, is an interesting case for next season. Acquired at the Trade Deadline when Kansas City shipped Freddy Fermin to the Padres, Kolek is finishing up his first year as a full-time starter in the majors. In his first four starts as a Royal, Kolek has pitched to a 1.67 ERA.
Throwing six different pitches with regularity, Kolek misses barrels and doesn’t issue many walks while also generating a ton of ground balls. The impression he’s made will factor into the team’s offseason decision-making as it decides what to do with the pitching staff. Another excellent outing tonight would go a long way towards securing his status for the Opening Day roster next year.
Yusei Kikuchi, the Angels’ starter, is looking to finish a solid first year in Los Angeles. He may be overpaid on his three-year, $64 million deal, but he’s proven himself to be a solid innings-eater. It’s possible he is on the chopping block for cost-cutting purposes in the offseason, so this last start of the year may well be an audition for a new team.
I have faith in both of these pitchers to keep it together, but ultimately, Kolek gives the Royals a big upper hand. Behind his play, the Royals will secure the road win in Los Angeles.
