The Kansas City Royals travel to Sacramento to take on the A's on Tuesday, April 28. First pitch from Sutter Health Park is scheduled for 9:40 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on NBCS-CA and MLB.TV.
The Royals are favored by -118 on the moneyline and by -1.5 (+138) on the run line. The A's are +100 on the moneyline and +1.5 (-166) on the run line. The over/under comes in at 9.5 total runs.
Find my MLB picks and Royals vs A's prediction below, as well as probable pitchers, weather report and more.
Royals vs A's Prediction
- Royals vs A's Pick: A's ML +100 (Play to -105)
My A's vs Royals best bet is on the Athletics to win the game. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Royals vs A's Odds
| Royals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Run Line | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +138 | 9.5 -105o / -115u | -118 |
| A's Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Run Line | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -166 | 9.5 -105o / -115u | +100 |
- Royals vs A's moneyline: Royals ML -118, A's ML +100
- Royals vs A's over/under: 9.5
- Royals vs A's spread: Royals -1.5 (+138), A's +1.5 (-166)
Royals vs A's MLB Betting Preview
I like the A’s at home in Sacramento. They’ve surprised me this year, fighting back every game and showing real growth in pitching development.
I said in the preseason that their pitching was underrated, and their bullpen has looked solid, managing to reclaim value from guys like Jeffrey Springs, who some wrote off.
I don’t know exactly what they’re doing in their development program, but it’s working.
Matchup-wise, Aaron Civale isn’t necessarily a starter I’m excited to back. I have him as my 98th-ranked starting pitcher , but Royals starter Kris Bubic is closer to league average for me at SP 79, which is lower than I had him a few weeks ago.
Bubic’s command has slipped. His walk rate is up to 11.5% this year (9.5% for his career; he was around 8% over 20 starts last season).
He’s bounced between the bullpen and the rotation in recent years because of command issues, and his time back in the rotation looks like it’s unraveling a bit.
My confidence in Bubic has dropped from where it was a couple of weeks ago. He’s now much closer to Civale than I would've expected, which means there’s not a big edge for the Royals in the starting pitching matchup.
Where I do see an edge is in the bullpen. I have the A’s bullpen around 21st right now, compared to a dead-last rank of 30th for the Royals.
Those bullpen rankings aren’t just season-long numbers; they’re based on the relievers currently available and how I’d rank them today using the same underlying indicators I use for starters.
Offensively, I prefer the A’s lineup, especially against right-handed pitching. Facing a lefty neutralizes guys like Nick Kurtz and Tyler Soderstrom, so the edge shrinks a bit, but I still have the A’s projected at about -115 in this spot.
Royals vs A's Pick, Betting Analysis
I’d bet the A's to -105 today after getting them at plus-money, which I’ll take.
Also, betting the A’s at Sutter Health Park in the first game of a series tends to be a good look, similar to the historical edge on the Rockies in their first game of the series.
There’s an adjustment factor for visiting teams in Sacramento. The lighting and conditions lead to a lot of misplayed fly balls. It’s common to see a major-leaguer look like a minor-leaguer trying to track a fly ball there, and that’s an advantage for the home team.
Ultimately, I trust the A’s pitching and their bullpen matchups here, so I'll bet them as a small underdog in this spot.
Pick: A's ML +100 (Play to -105)
