Rays vs. Royals: Picks, predictions, how to watch Friday’s game

The Tampa Bay Rays and Kansas City Royals square off on Friday with first pitch set for 8:10 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. Tampa Bay will send Drew Rasmussen (5-3, 3.22 ERA) to the mound while Kansas City counters with Brad Keller (5-9, 3.96 ERA).

The Rays (51-41) finished 6-4 in their last 10 games before the All-Star break. They sit 12 games back from the New York Yankees in the AL East and currently hold the first A.L. Wild Card spot for the playoffs. Rasmussen is going to be starting his 16th game of the season. In his last outing, he pitched six innings and gave up four hits and three earned runs while striking out five in a no-decision.

The Royals (36-56) finished the first half of the season 5-5 over their final 10 games. They weren’t playing at full strength in the final series before the All-Star break because they were without 10 players who couldn’t travel to take on the Toronto Blue Jays. Back at home, they should have everyone back for this series opener. Despite his record, Keller has won his last three starts. In the most recent, he pitched seven innings and gave up three hits and an earned run while striking out eight against the Detroit Tigers on July 11.

Rays vs. Royals

Pitchers: Drew Rasmussen vs. Brad Keller
First pitch: 8:10 p.m. ET
Rays local broadcast: Bally Sports Sun
Royals local broadcast: Bally Sports Kansas City
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)

Odds, picks & predictions

Run Line: Tampa Bay -1.5
Run total: 9
Moneyline odds: Tampa Bay -130, Kansas City +110

Moneyline pick: Tampa Bay -130

This is less a pick that suggests confidence in Tampa Bay but much more a lack of confidence in Kansas City. In his recent starts, Keller has been better for the Royals, but the lineup is too unpredictable to trust. It will likely be an ugly game, but I’m taking the Rays to get the win on Friday night.

Player prop pick: Yandy Diaz over 1.5 total bases (+110)

Diaz leads the team in batting average, hitting .294 on the year. He enters this game 4-10 in his career against Keller. The All-Star break came at a great time for a banged-up Diaz, and he should be able to tally at least two bases in Friday’s game.

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