Philadelphia Phillies Open as Moneyline Underdog vs the Kansas City Royals

A key battle on the MLB betting odds menu sees the visiting Kansas City Royals dueling the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday at Citizens Bank Park.

Ian Kennedy gets the ball in front of a hostile crowd for the Kansas City Royals on Friday; he's 6-6 on the season. The Philadelphia Phillies, meanwhile, will counter with Jeremy Hellickson, who will be looking to improve on his 5-6 mark.

Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick

The visiting Kansas City Royals were -113 moneyline favorites in this one earlier in the day at most online sportsbooks including Sportsbook. The total was 8 at Sportsbook for those preferring over under betting.

Handicapping models based on recent betting stats and prediction formulas pick a 5.7-5.1 win for the Royals. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming MLB matchups here.

Kansas City Royals vs Philadelphia Phillies Matchup

Team Betting Records & Power Rankings

The Philadelphia Phillies bring a 35-45 record to the battle against the 42-36 Royals. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Philadelphia vs Kansas City injuries news.

This game puts the Philadelphia Phillies, most recently No. 30 in Odds Shark MLB Power Rankings, up against the Kansas City Royals, who rate a No. 11 in the latest survey.

Statistical Matchup

Scoring stats point to some edges in this matchup. The game features the Philadelphia Phillies No. 29-ranked scoring average of 3.47 runs per game, against a Kansas City Royals offense rated No. 25 and scoring 4.08 runs per game. The Phillies have averaged 7.84 hits per game to date this season, less than the Royals hitters have managed (9.55 per nine innings).

Defensively, Kansas City features the No. 12-rated defense on the road, allowing 4.25 runs per game. Philadelphia, meanwhile, comes in at No. 30 at home, scoring 2.68 runs per game.