Red Sox vs. Royals Prediction, Odds, Probable Pitchers, Prop Bets for Wednesday, May 20

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The Boston Red Sox are looking to sweep away the Kansas City Royals to close out their road trip.
The Sox lost five of seven prior to taking the first two in Kansas City, and the Royals have been spiraling as well. They’ve now lost eight of their last nine games, salvaging a 2-0 road win in St. Louis this weekend.
Here are the odds, probable pitchers, and predictions for Red Sox vs. Royals on Wednesday, May 20.
Red Sox vs. Royals Odds, Run Line and Total
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Run Line
- Red Sox -1.5 (+163)
- Royals -1.5 (+143)
Moneyline
- Red Sox +102
- Royals -123
Total
- 8.0 (Over -102/Under -118)
Red Sox vs. Royals Probable Pitchers
- Red Sox: Connelly Early (3-2, 3.21 ERA)
- Royals: Michael Wacha (4-2, 2.83 ERA)
Connelly Early has been stellar so far in his young career. The 24-year-old southpaw has allowed two runs or fewer in seven of his nine starts this season, including a total of 2 ER in 12 IP across his last two starts.
Michael Wacha was tremendous to start the season, but then had a few hiccups at the end of April (10 ER in 10.1 IP). He’s bounced back with 5 ER in 20 IP in three starts this month, although his 4.16 FIP shows that his 2.83 ERA is due for some regression.
Red Sox vs. Royals How to Watch
- Date: Wednesday, May 20
- Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
- Venue: Kauffman Stadium
- How to Watch (TV): NESN, ROYL
- Red Sox record: 21-27
- Royals record: 20-29
Red Sox vs. Royals Best MLB Prop Bets
Royals Best MLB Prop Bet
- Michael Wacha OVER 4.5 Strikeouts (-120)
Michael Wacha has never been an overpowering strikeout pitcher, but he’s holding his own this season. His 7.4 K/9 (47 Ks in 57.1 IP) is actually a bit below his career 7.8 K/9, and he’s been fairly consistent this season.
Wacha has gone OVER 4.5 strikeouts in seven of nine starts, including two straight and six of his last seven. The Red Sox don’t strike out a ton, but five punchouts isn’t too much to ask for from Wacha.
Red Sox vs. Royals Prediction and Pick
I get that Wacha has better numbers than Early this season, but it’s still plenty early in the year. The Sox southpaw has strung a few solid starts together while Wacha has been a bit leaky at times.
The Royals haven’t scored more than two runs in any of their last four games, and have a total of 25 runs during their 1-8 stretch.
I have to take the Red Sox tonight, and I’m honestly a bit surprised that they’re road underdogs after taking the first two in this series.
Pick: Red Sox +102
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Ryan is a sports betting writer at Sports Illustrated. He has experience working for NHL.com, NBC Sports, Covers, and more throughout his decade in the industry. As a Philadelphia native, he understands the passion and pain that come with being a sports fan.
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