| MATCHUP | Oakland Athletics | Kansas City Royals |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 42-57 | 54-74 |
| Spread | +1.5 -181 | -1.5 149 |
| Moneyline | +126 | -136 |
| Total | Over 8.5 (-119) | Under 8.5 (-101) |
| Where | Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri | |
| When | Thursday, August 20, 2026 | |
| Time | 02:10 PM EDT | |
| TV | MLB.TV | |
Athletics Betting Preview
The Athletics are 49-78 on the year and play the Twins and Astros next. The Athletics are batting .244 on the season, have a .318 OBP, and have a .402 slugging percentage. The Athletics’ pitching staff has a 5.50 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP. Shea Langeliers leads the Athletics with 99 hits and 51 RBI, while Jeff McNeil and Tyler Soderstrom have combined for 189 hits and 99 RBI.
Gage Jump gets the ball for the Athletics, and he is 5-7 with a 4.50 ERA and 85 strikeouts this season. This will be Jump’s first career game against the Kansas City Royals.
Kansas City Royals Betting Preview
The Kansas City Royals are 54-74 on the year and play the Tigers and Blue Jays next. The Kansas City Royals are batting .245 on the season, have a .313 OBP, and have a .395 slugging percentage. The Kansas City Royals’ pitching staff has a 4.79 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. Bobby Witt Jr. leads the Kansas City Royals with 121 hits and 47 RBI, while Salvador Perez and Jac Caglianone have combined for 216 hits and 115 RBI.
Randy Dobnak gets the ball for the Kansas City Royals, and he is 2-1 with a 1.73 ERA and 25 strikeouts this season. This will be Dobnak’s second career game against the Athletics.
Why the Kansas City Royals will win
- The Athletics have lost 14 of their last 15 games against AL Central opponents.
- The Royals have won eight of their last nine games at Kauffman Stadium against teams that held a losing record.
- The Athletics have failed to cover the run line in seven of their last eight games as underdogs against AL Central opponents.
- The Royals have covered the run line in each of their last four day games against American League opponents.
- The Royals have led after 3 innings in three of their last four day games against the Athletics at Kauffman Stadium.
- The Royals have led after 5 innings in three of their last four day games against the Athletics at Kauffman Stadium.
Why the Athletics will win
- The Royals have lost each of their last eight Thursday games against American League opponents.
- The Athletics have won four of their last five day games against the Royals following a road loss.
- The Royals have failed to cover the run line in each of their last six Thursday games as home favorites against American League opponents.
- The Athletics have covered the run line in 10 of their last 11 Thursday road games.
- The Royals have trailed after 5 innings in three of their last four home games.
- The Athletics have won the first inning in three of their last four games as road underdogs.
- The Royals have trailed after 3 innings in three of their last four games at Kauffman Stadium.
Total Runs Facts
- Six of the Athletics’ last seven games as underdogs against AL Central opponents have gone OVER the total runs line.
- Six of the Royals’ last eight games as favorites have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- There has been at least one run scored in the first inning in each of the Athletics’ last seven games as underdogs against AL Central opponents.
- There has been at least one run scored in the first inning in each of the Royals’ last six games at Kauffman Stadium.
Kansas City Royals Player Prop Facts
- Michael Massey has hit a home run in two of his last three appearances in day games against teams that held a losing record.
- Vinnie Pasquantino has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 12 home appearances against AL West opponents that held a losing record.
Athletics Player Prop Facts
- Lawrence Butler has hit a home run in each of the Athletics’ last two day games.
- Gage Jump has recorded five or more strikeouts in each of his last four road appearances.
- Zack Gelof has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 10 appearances in day games against AL teams that held a losing record.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Royals rank 28th in the league for strikeouts this season (938).
- The Royals rank 28th in the league for opponent batting average this season (.259).
- The Athletics rank 29th in the league for ERA this season (5.50).
- The Athletics rank 29th in the league for opponent batting average this season (.270).
Athletics vs Kansas City Royals Prediction
Two bad teams with nothing to play for at this stage, but it’s clear the Royals are the ones most interested in padding a few wins. The A’s look like a team ready for the season to end, and they just can’t finish a game to get in the win column. Dobnak has been solid over 41.2 innings with a 1.73 ERA and 1.30 WHIP, while Jump has been hittable over 78 frames with a 4.50 ERA and 1.45 WHIP. The Athletics appear useless right now. Give me the Royals.