The Tampa Bay Rays are in town taking on the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium this Tuesday evening. Tonight is the first of a three-game series between the teams, and I’ll have boots on the ground. So let’s find our best bets.
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Tampa Bay Rays vs. Kansas City Royals: MLB Best Bets
Taj Bradley gets the nod against the Royals tonight in Kansas City
The Royals actually swept the Rays the first time these teams played down in Florida. Kansas City won 3-1, 3-0, and then 8-2 to solidify the sweep. This is the only other meeting between the two squads, so Tampa Bay will certainly want to get at least one win against this team this series.
Matchup Information – Rays vs. Royals – June 24
- Venue & Location: Kauffman Stadium (Kansas City, MO)
- Date: Tuesday, June 24, 2025
- First Pitch: 7:40 p.m. Eastern
Pitching Matchup
- Tampa Bay Rays: Taj Bradley (4-5, 4.95 ERA, 1.35 WHIP)
- Kansas City Royals: Kris Bubic (6-4, 2.12 ERA, 1.12 WHIP)
Rays vs. Royals Betting Odds
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Run Line
- Rays +1.5 (-176)
- Royals -1.5 (+154)
Moneyline
- Rays +116
- Royals -128
Total
- Over 8.5 (-113)
- Under 8.5 (-107)
Taj Bradley already pitched against the Royals. He gave up two runs on five hits and three walks in seven innings. However, he took the loss and so did the Rays. Kris Bubic has not pitched against Tampa Bay yet this season, but his top-five ERA and top-25 WHIP both look incredible at home.
The Rays struggle to hit lefties, especially on the road. As a team, they hit .256 this season, and are even hitting .277 in the month of June. However, away from home they hit just .247, and against left-handed pitchers, their average decreases to just .233. Bubic could have a very strong day on the bump for the Royals.
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Kansas City Royals Best Bets
Kris Bubic takes the mound against the Rays tonight
Rays vs. Royals MLB Prediction: Royals Win, Under 8.5
Best Bet: Royals First Five -0.5 (-114) BetOnline
I expect Bubic to shove, and so I’ll back him to get some early run support from his team. The Royals hit slightly better at home and against right-handed pitchers. Against Bradley, whom they’ve already lit up this year, I think they can do so again.
In their last home stand, the Royals lost all six games. They were swept in back-to-back series by the Yankees and the Athletics. They’ve actually lost seven straight at home, and are just 2-10 over their last 12 games at Kauffman. Things need to change. They haven’t won a home series since sweeping the White Sox over a month ago.
With Bubic on the mound, I think they are in good hands. I’ll also be on Bubic to have Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-108) for another fun sweat. The Rays rank No. 12 in MLB in strikeout percentage, doing so 24.93% of the time. However, on the road and against LHP, those numbers increase.
Tampa Bay strikes out 26% of the time on the road and 26.2% of the time against lefties. Give me Bubic to sit plenty of batters down and get some early run support from the Boys in Blue.
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