MLB Opening Day means everyone is tied for first place. Yes, even the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals, who are both projected to finish at or near the basement of their respective divisions.
While this pair of potential baseball bottom-feeders open the season against one another at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, oddsmakers are giving the Royals a considerable edge — at least in Game 1 of 162.
In good matchups or bad, there is betting value to be had, so check out our MLB free picks and predictions for Rangers vs. Royals on Thursday, April 1, with first pitch scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET.
Rangers vs Royals odds
MLB sharp money and line movement report
By Patrick EversonKansas City hit the PointsBet USA odds board at -170 Tuesday afternoon, and on game-day morning, the price was down to -160, where it remains at 1 p.m. ET. Moneyline ticket count and dollars are both running in the 3/1 range on the Royals. The total opened at 9 (Over -125) and is down to 8.5 (Under -115), with 56 percent of bets/78 percent of money on the Under.
Check out the full line movement for this gameRangers vs Royals betting preview
Starting pitchers
Kyle Gibson (2020: 2-6, 5.35 ERA): Gibson becomes the Rangers' defacto ace this season after the team traded away Lance Lynn and Mike Minor (now a Royal). The right-hander's first season in Texas was a rocky one, pitching to his highest ERA since his rookie season. Gibson is a sinkerball pitcher who needs to keep the ball down to be successful in 2021.
Brad Keller (2020: 5-3, 2.47 ERA): Keller gets the call on Opening Day for the Royals after a surprisingly impressive 2020 campaign. Keller owned a 1.02 WHIP to go along with his 2.47 ERA and allowed zero earned runs in five of his nine starts. The right-hander relies on three pitches: a four-seam fastball, a slider and a sinker which has good movement and is hard to barrel up.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Rangers: Khris Davis DH (Out).
Royals: Adalberto Mondesi SS (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Royals are 5-0 in Brad Keller's last five starts at home. Find more MLB betting trends for Rangers vs. Royals.
Moneyline pick
Casual baseball fans and bettors might not see much of a difference between the Rangers and Royals this season, but that might not be entirely accurate.
While the Rangers are in clear rebuild mode, the Royals made some moves this offseason in order to accelerate theirs. The big prize was getting Andrew Benintendi from the Red Sox, but they also brought in Michael A. Taylor to sure up their defense and added veteran Carlos Santana. They also solidified the bullpen by getting the band back together with the return of Wade Davis and Greg Holland.
With the likes of Adalberto Mondesi, Whit Merrifield and Jorge Soler already on the roster, the Royals look like they can pencil in a real major league lineup once again.
The Rangers, meanwhile, are coming off a season where they had just a .367 winning percentage and the roster has gotten worse since then. It feels like half of the Rangers’ runs will have to come from Joey Gallo dingers.
On top of that, the Royals looked crisp this spring, like they were ready to get this season underway. When you factor in the edge in starters laying the juice with the favorites seems like the play here.
PREDICTION: Royals (-160)
- Mets vs. Nationals picks April 1
- Braves vs. Phillies picks April 1
- Blue Jays vs. Yankees picks April 1
- Diamondbacks vs. Padres picks April 1
- Astros vs. Athletics picks April 1
- Dodgers vs. Rockies picks April 1
- White Sox vs. Angels picks April 1
- MLB daily prop bet picks April 1
- World Series odds
- Daily MLB matchup info and more
Over/Under pick
The total for this Opening Day matchup hit the board at an even nine, and if this one is going to go Over, it's going to have to be because of the Royals’ bats.
That’s because Texas is unlikely to do its part. The Rangers were one of the worst scoring teams in the Big Leagues last season, plating just 3.7 runs per game, and we’ve already mentioned the roster hasn’t really gotten much better. On top of that, they will be without one of their expected run producers for this game in Khris Davis. The former A is expected to be out until mid-April with a quad strain.
All this points to Keller having a field day against this lineup. The right-hander had some tough starts at times but absolutely feasted against bad teams. Guess what category Texas falls into.
While the Royals’ lineup looks capable of battering around Gibson, it’s tough to get behind the idea of them having to do the heavy lifting. Bet the Under in this one.
PREDICTION: Under 9 (-110)
Rangers vs Royals betting card
- Royals (-160)
- Under 9 (-110)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s MLB Rangers vs. Royals picks, you could win $21.02 on a $10 bet?
Use our MLB parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
Where can I bet on MLB odds?
You can bet on MLB odds at every online and casino sportsbook, including MLB moneylines, runlines, Over/Under totals, and a ton of MLB prop odds. Head over to our best-suggested sportsbooks for the top spots to bet on MLB odds in your area.
