TAMPA, FL – JUNE 22: José Caballero #77 of the Tampa Bay Rays steals second base against the Detroit Tigers during the seventh inning of a baseball game at George M. Steinbrenner Field on June 22, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
The Tampa Bay Rays will travel to the Midwest to take on the Kansas City Royals in a series opener tonight. The Rays have had a surprisingly strong start, going 43-35 and sitting second in the AL East behind the Yankees. The Royals, meanwhile, are in another lackluster season, trailing first in the AL Central by 10 games.
Tampa Bay has an excellent rotation but will rely on its weakest link in this game. Taj Bradley has a 4.95 ERA and 1.35 WHIP over 15 starts, numbers that reflect his mediocre play. However, one of his best outings came against the Royals, holding them to two runs over seven solid innings. Only two Royals hitters own a career average over .200 against him, opening the door for another one of the righty's best appearances of the year.
One of the most pleasant surprises of the 2025 season has been Kansas City starter Kris Bubic. Bubic was fantastic last season in his role as a reliever, and he has managed to maintain that momentum in his shift to a full-time starter. The lefty has dominated through 15 appearances, earning a 2.12 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP. Raising Bubic's profile in this game is the fact that the Rays have struggled mightily against left-handed pitching, hitting only .233 against southpaws.
Spread
- Rays +1.5 (-179)
- Royals -1.5 (+153)
Moneyline
- Rays +120
- Royals -136
Totals
- OVER 8.5 (-110)
- UNDER 8.5 (-107)
*The above data was collected on June 24, 2025, and may have changed since writing.
Rays vs Royals Betting Trends
- The Rays are 40-38 ATS this season.
- The Rays are 22-11 ATS as underdogs.
- The OVER is 12-10 when Tampa Bay enters a game as the road underdog.
- The Royals are also 40-38 ATS this year.
- The Royals are 27-30 ATS when playing an American League opponent.
- The UNDER is 23-15 when Kansas City plays at home.
Rays vs Royals Injury Reports
Tampa Bay Rays
- Ha-Seong Kim, SS - Out.
- Richie Palacios, OF - Out.
- Manuel Rodriguez, RP - Out.
Kansas City Royals
- Michael Massey, DH - Out.
Rays vs Royals Predictions and Picks
Patty Reyes of Statsalt writes, "When looking at how these pitchers are doing throughout the month of June, you can see they are performing at two different levels. Taj Bradley is 0-1 with a 7.16 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP in 16.1 innings (four starts) while Kris Bubic is 1-2 with a 4.86 ERA and a .284 batting average against in 16.2 innings (three starts) in the calendar month.
The ability to avoid hitting into double plays shows the chance to keep rallies going and have good offensive innings. Tampa Bay is tied with a handful of teams for 17th with 52 double plays hit into, while Kansas City is second in MLB with 39 double plays hit into thus far. The Royals already swept the Rays this season in Tampa, so go with the Kansas City Royals to improve to 4-0 on the season against the Tampa Bay Rays."
