Kansas City Royals vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction, 4/30/2025 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Kansas City Royals vs Tampa Bay Rays

Date: Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Location: George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, FL

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Sun

Odds/Point Spread: Kansas City (+125) Tampa Bay (-150)

The Tampa Bay Rays (14-14) will try to defeat the Kansas City Royals (14-15) at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Wednesday. The moneyline on this contest has the Royals at +125 while the Rays are sitting at -150. The total is set at 9. The starting pitchers are Cole Ragans and Drew Rasmussen.

The Royals have tallied 49 two-baggers as a unit and have hit 13 baseballs out of the stadium. Kansas City has a slugging rate of .327 and have been called out on strikes 215 times, while taking a walk on 78 occasions. As a team, the Kansas City Royals are earning 3.1 runs per game, which ranks them 29th in the league. They have recorded 91 runs batted in in addition to 212 hits so far this year, while their batting average sits at .225. They have a total of 91 runs while holding a team on-base percentage of .289.

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The Royals have a team earned run average of 3.39 this year (7th in MLB), and their staff has struck out 239 batters. Royals pitchers have surrendered 26 long balls in addition to 107 total runs (7th in MLB). Their pitching staff has walked 96 opposing hitters and their FIP is 3.72 as a squad on the campaign. Kansas City has given up 218 base hits (7.6 per 9 innings) and also 97 earned runs. Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 2.49 and the pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.22.

The Royals have sent 89 relievers to the mound on the campaign. The relievers have inherited 28 base runners so far this year with 39.3% of them crossed the plate. They have recorded 9 saves for the season and have missed out on 4 of their 13 chances to get a save. The Royals bullpen have a save percentage of 69.2% and have entered the game in 27 save situations. The relief pitchers have accumulated 14 holds for the year (21st in MLB). Royals relief pitchers have entered the game with players on base 22 times in addition to having 29 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Royals have converted 71.5% of baseballs in play into outs out of their 2,316 innings, which has them sitting at 8th in MLB. The Houston Astros have earned a total of 772 putouts so far this season, in addition to 265 assists and 12 errors. Their fielding rate is at .989 which puts them in 6th in baseball, and they have turned 23 double plays.

Ragans has taken the ball for 352 innings and is sitting with 409 punch outs so far in his career. His earned run average is 3.55 (139 ER's allowed) and his WHIP is 1.189. He has conceded 286 hits (7.3 hits per 9 innings) and has had 133 walks. Ragans (19-18 career record) holds a FIP of 3.50 while he has faced 1,456 opposing hitters during his time in the major leagues.

The Tampa Bay Rays hold an OBP of .319 as well as a team batting average of .253 over the course of the season. They have struck out on 238 occasions (16th in baseball) and have earned a total of 237 base hits. Tampa Bay has knocked in 25 home runs so far this season to go along with 113 runs batted in. The Rays hold a slugging percentage of .391 and they have an average of 4.21 runs per game (18th in MLB). They have hit 48 doubles, while walking 89 times and scoring 118 runs.

The Tampa Bay pitching staff have yielded 104 runs this year while having an ERA of 3.46 (97 earned runs yielded). They have given up 39 homers and they surrender 3.71 runs per 9 innings (6th in baseball). The Rays are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.138 and have a FIP of 4.22 as a pitching staff this season. Their K/BB ratio is 8.70 (243 strikeouts vs 78 bases on balls). They have a ranking of 7th in the league as a pitching staff in total hits given up with 209.

Tampa Bay relievers have an inherited score percentage of 46.2% out of their 13 inherited base runners. Their bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the mound 28 times in high leverage situations and also on 10 occasions with runners on. With 25 save situations, the Rays have accrued 14 holds in addition to 3 blown saves. They rank 8th in MLB holding a save rate of 72.7%, and they have sent 88 bullpen pitchers onto the diamond for the season. Tampa Bay has called on bullpen pitchers to step onto the mound in 11 save opportunities and they have tallied 8 saves.

The Tampa Bay Rays have gotten 31 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .989 (5th in baseball). The Rays have 259 assists, 11 errors and have notched a total of 758 putouts during this campaign. In their 2,274 innings played, the Rays have accumulated a defensive efficiency of 72.9% (5th in professional baseball).

Rasmussen (21-13 career mark) holds a 2.90 ERA and has conceded 7.3 hits per nine innings. He has a K/BB ratio of 3.73 and he has gone up against 1,352 batters so far in his career. He has surrendered 108 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.076 and a FIP of 2.9. Thus far in his career, Rasmussen has allowed 273 base hits while he has accumulated 328 punch outs in 335 frames.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Tampa Bay (-150)

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