Royals vs Rangers: Game 1 prediction, odds, injuries and picks

The Rangers will host the Royals in a three-game series in hopes of defending their four-game win streak. It has been a rollercoaster year for Bruce Bochy and his men as they just couldn't sustain their momentum and as a result, have yo-yoed up and down the AL West standings.

Kansas City, on the other hand, has been on a downward trajectory as of late, as they're now out of the wild card spots after a dismal few weeks of play. Texas hurler Jack Leiter will start the proceedings in Arlington against Royals ace Seth Lugo.

Royals vs. Rangers recent form and records

Texas is coming off a series sweep of the White Sox at home and is third in the division with a 36-36 record. In addition, they've established an impressive record at Globe Life Field, having won 23 of their 36 games on their own turf.

Kansas City, meanwhile, has lost six straight contests and has won just two of its last 10 games. They're just above the White Sox in the AL Central standings with a 34-38 win-loss tally.

Royals vs. Rangers odds

Money Line: KC (+121), TEX (-132)

Run Spread: KC +1.5 (-185), TEX -1.5 (+155)

Total Runs: O 8.5 (-102), U 8.5 (-115)

Royals vs. Rangers injuries

KC injury report

James McArthur (RP): 60-day IL (elbow)
Hunter Harvey (RP): 60-day IL (shoulder)
Alec Marsh (SP): 60-day IL (shoulder)
Kyle Wright (SP): 15-day IL (shoulder)
Cole Ragans (SP): 15-day IL (shoulder)
Michael Massey (2B): 10-day IL (ankle)

TEX injury report

Cody Bradford (SP): 60-day IL (shoulder)
Josh Sborz (RP): 60-day IL (shoulder)
Nathan Eovaldi (SP): 15-day IL (triceps)
Joc Pederson (1B): 10-day IL (hand)
Jon Gray (SP): 60-day IL (wrist)
Tyler Mahle (SP): 15-day IL (shoulder)

Royals vs. Rangers projected lineup

KC projected lineup

Jonathan India (2B)
Bobby Witt Jr. (SS)
Maikel Garcia (3B)
Vinnie Pasquantino (1B)
Salvador Perez (C)
Jac Caglianone (DH)
Nick Loftin (LF)
John Rave (RF)
Kyle Isbel (CF)
Seth Lugo (SP, 3-5 | 3.18 ERA | 52 K)

TEX projected lineup

Sam Haggerty (LF)
Wyatt Langford (CF)
Corey Seager (SS)
Josh Jung (3B)
Jonah Heim (C)
Jake Burger (1B)
Kyle Higashioka (DH)
Adolis Garcia (RF)
Marcus Semien (2B)
Jack Leiter (SP, 4-3 | 3.88 ERA | 45 K)

Royals vs. Rangers picks and game prediction

With the losing streak that Kansas City is currently embroiled in, Texas is the heavy favorite in this game. However, with ace Seth Lugo taking the bump for the Royals, it should theoretically be a close matchup against the hosts in Arlington.

Run Line: KC +1.5 (-185)

Total Runs: O 8.5 (-102)

Prediction: TEX wins, 5-4

About the author

Daniel Santiago is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. He was drawn towards the sport after the underlying statistics and the analysis surrounding it grabbed his attention.

Daniel particularly enjoys furnishing reports about historic events in baseball and analyzing the game through a statistic-based outlook, based on Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference. This is in line with how he enjoyed watching baseball as a pastime. As a writer, he is very particular about cross-checking from reputable sources and doing his due diligence.

He became a lifelong Hideki Matsui fan after his exploits in the 2009 World Series for the New York Yankees. Among the current generation, Daniel's favorites include Shohei Ohtani and Jung Hoo Lee. Daniel is a huge follower of Asian baseball and both Ohtani and Lee have been in the top echelon of their respective leagues during their time with the NPB and KBO.

His favorite moment as a baseball fan was the final at-bat of the 2023 World Baseball Classic between Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. He believes there aren't many words to fittingly describe the intensity of the moment.

As an avid sports fan, Daniel watches other sports and Esports when not writing about baseball.

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Edited by Daniel Santiago

Royals vs Rangers: Game 1 prediction, odds, injuries and picks - June 17, 2025