Tampa Bay Rays vs Kansas City Royals Prediction, 7/2/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Tampa Bay Rays vs Kansas City Royals

Date: Thursday, July 2, 2026

Location: Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO

TV: MLB.TV

Odds/Point Spread: Tampa Bay (-196) Kansas City (+162)

The Tampa Bay Rays (49-33) are headed to Kauffman Stadium on Thursday where they will go up against the Kansas City Royals (35-51). The moneyline on this game has the Rays at -196 and the Royals are priced at +162. The over/under is 8. The pitchers who are expected to start are Ian Seymour and Stephen Kolek.

As a squad, the Tampa Bay Rays are scoring 4.6 runs/g, which has them sitting at 11th in the league. They have earned 376 runs scored while holding a team OBP of .339. The Rays have recorded 118 two-baggers as a team and have hit 76 balls out of the park. They have accounted for 359 RBI's and 711 hits this season, and their batting average is .260. Tampa Bay has a slugging % of .396 and have been rung up 582 times, while taking a walk on 302 occasions.

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The Rays are sitting with a team earned run average of 3.78 on the season (9th in baseball), and the staff has rung up 649 hitters. Rays pitchers have surrendered 100 home runs and 346 runs in total (8th in the league). They have walked 229 opposing players and their FIP is 4.16 as a team on the year. Tampa Bay has conceded 647 base hits (7.9 per 9 innings) as well as 308 earned runs. Their strikeout to walk ratio is 2.83 and their pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.20.

The Rays have dispatched 260 relief pitchers to the hill so far this year. The relievers have inherited 94 runners for the season with 24.5% of them crossing the plate. The relief pitchers have 61 holds this year (2nd in the league). Rays relief pitchers have entered the contest with runners on 67 times and also have had 83 appearances in high leverage situations. They have 32 saves for the year and have blown 12 of their 44 chances to get a save. The Rays relievers have a save rate of 72.7% and stepped onto the hill in 105 save situations.

The Tampa Bay Rays have notched a total of 2,199 putouts on the year, as well as 663 assists and 47 errors. Their fielding percentage sits at .984 which is 21st in MLB, and have a total of 51 double plays. The Rays have turned 71.8% of balls in play into outs in their 6,597 innings on the field, which has them sitting 4th in MLB.

Seymour has thrown 107 innings and has totaled 116 strikeouts in his MLB career. Seymour (8-4 career record) has earned a FIP of 3.89 while facing 449 batters in the major leagues. His earned run average is 3.95 (47 earned runs allowed) and his WHIP is 1.159. He has conceded 85 base knocks (7.1 hits per nine innings) and has had 39 walks.

The Royals have a team SLG% of .392 and they are recording 4.20 runs per game (21st in the league). They have 152 doubles, while getting a free base 283 times as well as putting up 361 runs. Kansas City has knocked in 85 home runs this season as well as 343 RBIs. They have struck out on 684 occasions (23rd in MLB) and have earned a total of 703 base hits. The Kansas City Royals are sitting with an on-base percentage of .315 and a team batting average of .244 on the season.

The Royals have a WHIP of 1.439 and have a FIP of 4.68 as a squad so far this year. They sit at 25th in the league as a pitching staff in total hits conceded with 758. The Kansas City pitching staff have given up 437 runs so far this year while having a team ERA of 4.88 (411 earned runs yielded). Their K/BB ratio sits at 7.80 (658 strikeouts against 333 free passes). They have surrendered 110 dingers and they relinquish 5.19 runs per 9 innings (26th in MLB).

They rank 21st in baseball with a save percentage of 57.9%, and they have sent 278 relievers onto the field over the course of the season. Their relief pitchers have come in 89 times in high leverage situations and also on 61 occasions with runners on base. Sitting with 73 save situations, the Royals have amassed 35 holds and also 16 blown saves. Kansas City has called on relief pitchers to step onto the hill in 38 save chances and they have walked away with 22 saves. Kansas City relievers have an inherited score percentage of 34.5% of 87 inherited base runners.

Out of their 6,828 innings played, the Royals hold a defensive efficiency of 69.0% (25th in baseball). The Kansas City Royals have turned 76 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .988 (9th in pro baseball). The Royals have accrued 760 assists, 38 errors and have a total of 2,276 putouts over the course of the season.

So far in his pro baseball career, Kolek has conceded 208 base hits and he has 150 K's in 211 innings pitched. Kolek (12-9 record in his career) has earned a 4.05 ERA while allowing 8.9 hits per 9 innings. He has allowed 95 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.241 and having a FIP of 4.0. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.78 and he has gone up against 885 hitters during his pro baseball career.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Kansas City (+162)

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