Royals vs. Red Sox Odds
| Royals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Total | Run Line |
-115 | 9 -115/-105 | -1.5 +128 |
| Red Sox Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Total | Run Line |
+100 | 9 -115/-105 | +1.5 -155 |
An American League Wild Card team won the World Series in 2023 as two squads that could replicate what the Texas Rangers accomplished last October hook up at Fenway Park on Friday.
The Kansas City Royals sit one game behind the Boston Red Sox for the final AL Wild Card spot heading into the last series prior to the All-Star break.
Kansas City Royals
The Royals bounced back from a pair of losses in Colorado to capture the finale at Coors Field prior to a doubleheader sweep over the Cardinals in a Show-Me-State showdown on Wednesday.
Kansas City's offense has exploded since scoring three runs in the first two games in Colorado by posting 10, eight and six runs in the past three victories.
Royals veteran slugger Salvador Perez went deep in each of the two wins at St. Louis as the Royals are seeking their first four-game winning streak since late May when they rattled off eight consecutive victories.
Cole Ragans heads to the mound in the opener as the Royals have slumped to a 1-5 record in his past six starts. The southpaw pitched well in his last outing in Colorado by tossing seven innings and allowing two runs, but the Kansas City bullpen gave up two runs as the Rockies broke a 2-2 tie and won 4-2.
Kansas City has failed to win in each of Ragans' last five road starts, which includes three losses as a favorite of -170 or higher.
Ragans has cashed the Over on his strikeout prop in six of his past nine starts, while striking out at least seven batters in six of seven road outings.
In his only career start against the Red Sox, Ragans posted 11 strikeouts in nearly seven innings of a 6-2 loss at Fenway Park last August as Boston won the game on a walk-off grand slam.
Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox grabbed two of three from the lowly Athletics at home, capped off by a 7-0 shutout on Thursday night.
Boston started the season by losing 11 of its first 12 home series openers, but the Red Sox have won two of their past three openers at Fenway, including a 12-9 victory against Oakland on Tuesday.
Cooper Criswell is expected to return to the mound on Friday night following a minor league stint at Triple-A Worcester. Criswell is making his first start since June 15, when the Red Sox beat the Yankees as a home underdog.
The right-hander enters tonight's contest owning a 3-3 record and 4.15 ERA as he saw early success this season in April with back-to-back scoreless performances in wins against the Guardians and Giants.
The Red Sox have posted a solid 5-1 record in Criswell's six home starts, while Boston is 4-1-1 in the first five innings of those games.
When these teams met last season, the Red Sox won five of seven matchups, including taking three of four at Fenway Park.
Royals vs. Red Sox
Betting Pick & Prediction
There will be a lot of excitement around Criswell's possible return to the mound tonight, but Ragans is definitely due for a road win tonight.
Kansas City is back on the right track following its pair of wins in St. Louis as we'll back the Royals as a short favorite to grab the series opener in Beantown.
