Baseball Odds are in Favor of Kansas City on Thursday

Division leads in baseball tend to be very fragile by nature, as the length of the season means that teams go through big ups and downs that can lead to a lot of changes. There is nothing fragile about the lead that the Kansas City Royals have in the AL Central right now, as they are simply pulling away with every passing day. They will try to improve their baseball odds when they open up a 4-game series at home to the LA Angels on Thursday night.

Kansas City vs. LA Angels MLB Game Info

Date/Time: Thursday, August 13th, 8:10 PM Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO TV: FSKC Radio: KCSP 610 Opening line: LA Angels -105

Just when you think you’ve made it through the Gatorade bath gauntlet…@drewbutera happens. #ForeverRoyal pic.twitter.com/mG2Iul1jJ0

— Royals (@Royals) August 12, 2015

I have written about the Kansas City Royals (68-44) a number of times on these pages, and have to confess that I am running out of superlatives to describe just how good they are. Their .607 win percentage is second only to the St. Louis Cardinals, but is far and away the best in the American League. They are about as balanced as a team gets, as they can just as easily beat you with power as they can with great pitching. The Royals have won 5 straight, are 7-3 in their last 10 games, and just seem to be getting stronger as the season goes on. At this pace, they will most certainly be the first team in the AL to book their ticket into the postseason. There is a chance that they will come into this series with back to back sweeps under their belt, which has to be a terrifying thought for the struggling Angels. Jeremy Guthrie (8-7, 5.84 ERA) has not been pitching well of late, and will need to improve coming down the stretch. The LA Angels (59-53) are starting to see their playoff hopes fade with each passing series loss. It did look as though they were starting to get back on track with series wins over the Indians and Orioles, but they are now in danger of being swept by the lowly Chicago White Sox, which would not be the best set-up for a series against one of the best teams in baseball. The Angels made a bunch of moves at the trade deadline that they hoped would bolster their struggling offense, but things are anemic as ever, with just 7 runs scored over their past 4 games. The Angels are currently hanging on to the final Wild Card spot in the AL, but that 2-game lead could disappear if they cannot get things going against the Royals. Garrett Richards (11-9, 3.51 ERA) will get the nod for the Angels. Richards is just 1-3 in his last 4 starts.

MLB Injuries

This game features a pair of pitchers who have been struggling of late, which could well mean that the best offense wins this one. If that is the case, then expect to see the Royals come away with the win.