Kansas City Royals vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction, 6/23/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Kansas City Royals vs Tampa Bay Rays

Date: Friday, June 23, 2023

Location: Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL

TV: Bally Sports Sun

Odds/Point Spread: Kansas City (+165) Tampa Bay (-195)

The Tampa Bay Rays (52-25) will take on the Kansas City Royals (20-54) at Tropicana Field on Friday. The line on this contest has the Royals at +165 and the Rays are opening at -195. The total is set at 7.5. The expected starting pitchers are Zack Greinke and Zach Eflin.

Kansas City owns a slugging percentage of .377 and have struck out 661 times, while drawing a walk on 198 occasions. They have recorded 262 runs batted in as well as 576 base knocks this season, while their average at the plate is .233. The Royals have earned 119 doubles as a team and have smacked 67 baseballs out of the park. They have racked up 276 runs scored and have an on-base percentage of .297. As a squad, the Kansas City Royals are compiling 3.7 runs per game, which has them sitting at 29th in the league.

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The Royals have an ERA of 5.17 for the season (28th in the league), and their staff has struck out 605 batters. Royals pitchers have surrendered 87 long balls in addition to 394 total runs (28th in MLB). They have walked 271 opposing batters and their FIP is 4.54 as a squad over the course of the season. Kansas City has relinquished 639 base knocks (8.9 per 9 innings) and 370 earned runs. Their strikeout to walk ratio is 2.23 and the pitching staff has a team WHIP of 1.41.

The Royals relievers have a save percentage of 50.0% and has come into the game in 43 save situations. The relievers have inherited 79 base runners for the season with 43.0% of those runners ended up crossing the plate. Royals bullpen pitchers have entered the game with players on base 48 times as well as having 59 appearances in high leverage situations. The Royals have dispatched 243 relievers to the mound for the season. The relievers have a total of 23 holds so far this year (28th in the league). They have accumulated 10 saves for the year and have blown 10 of 20 save chances.

The Kansas City Royals have accounted for 1,933 putouts at this point in the season, as well as 625 assists and 35 errors. Their fielding percentage sits at .987 which has them ranked 14th in MLB, and have a total of 57 double plays. The Royals have turned 68.4% of baseballs in play into outs in their 5,799 innings on the field, which ranks them 20th in pro baseball.

Greinke has taken the ball for 3,323 innings and has earned 2,940 strikeouts so far in his pro baseball career. His earned run average is 3.46 (1,276 earned runs allowed) and his WHIP is 1.167. He has conceded 3,129 hits (8.5 hits per nine innings) and has 749 free passes. Greinke (224-148 career mark) has a FIP of 3.49 while facing 13,600 hitters in the majors.

Tampa Bay has a total of 119 home runs for the year as well as 409 RBIs. They have recorded 141 doubles, while walking 260 times and scoring 428 runs. The Tampa Bay Rays are sitting with an OBP of .338 and a team batting average of .263 for the season. The Rays have a SLG% of .464 and they average 5.56 runs per outing (2nd in baseball). They have been called out on strikes on 658 occasions (13th in the league) and have a total of 681 base hits.

The Rays hold a team WHIP of 1.191 in addition to having a FIP of 4.00 as a team so far this season. They rank 1st in the league as a pitching staff in total hits relinquished with 561. The Tampa Bay pitching staff have allowed 282 runs on the season while holding a team ERA of 3.53 (267 earned runs yielded). Their strikeout to walk ratio comes in at 8.80 (663 strikeouts vs 249 free passes). They have conceded 75 long balls and they allow 3.73 runs per 9 innings (1st in baseball).

Tampa Bay has had relievers take the mound in 38 save opportunities and they have tallied 23 saves. They rank 21st in the league with a save percentage of 60.5%, and they have sent 250 relievers onto the diamond on the campaign. Their relievers have taken the field 74 times in high leverage situations in addition to 62 occasions with runners on. Tampa Bay bullpen pitchers have an inherited score rate of 25.5% of 98 inherited base runners. Sitting with 82 save situations, the Rays have tallied 44 holds and also 15 blown saves.

The Tampa Bay Rays have gotten 66 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .989 (4th in professional baseball). The Rays have 711 assists, 32 errors and have a total of 2,040 putouts this year. Out of their 6,120 innings on the diamond, the Rays hold a efficiency on defense of 71.9% (1st in MLB).

Eflin (44-48 career win-loss mark) holds a 4.36 ERA and has conceded 9.3 hits per nine innings. His strikeout to walk ratio is 3.64 and he has faced 3,107 hitters during his pro baseball career. He has allowed 357 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.264 and a FIP of 4.2. During his pro baseball career, Eflin has allowed 758 base knocks while he has tallied 629 strikeouts in 736 innings pitched.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Tampa Bay (-195)

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