Diamondbacks vs Royals Prediction and Betting Odds May 23

Diamondbacks vs Royals Betting Preview and Odds

Former Diamondback Zach Greinke will take the mound tonight for the Royals against his old squard. WagerTalk MLB analyst Brian Ochsner offers his Arizona Diamondbacks vs Kansas City Royals betting preview for Monday, May 23, with the first pitch scheduled for 9:40pm ET / 6:40pm PT.

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Monday, May 23	MLB Betting Notes, Courtesy of Caesars
Moneyline:	Arizona Diamondbacks -110 vs Kansas City Royals +100
Runline:	Diamondbacks -1.5 (+170) / Royals +1.5 (-190)
Total:	8.5 Runs (Over -120 / Under -100)
Game Time:	9:40pm ET / 6:40pm PT
Where:	Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ
Weather:	Retractable Roof

Diamondbacks vs Royals Analysis

The Kansas City Royals travel to take in the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first of a two game series, in a battle of the Zachs, Greinke versus Davies.

The Royals were 3-5 on their recent homestand and dropped all three games to the Twins. Arizona took three of four from the Cubs in Chicago.

Royals Preview

Crafty veteran Zach Greinke is still pitching fairly well with a 3.48 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in eight starts and 44 innings of work.

However, his advanced analytics give me some cause for pause, starting with only 18 strikeouts – less than one every two innings.

He’s in the bottom 21 percent of hard-hit rate, the bottom 17 percent of expected slugging percentage and and expected ERA of 5.22.

Those numbers spell trouble going forward as it’s not a matter of if, but when, it’ll show up in his ERA and WHIP.

The Royals also have a 24th best OPS of .647 and 3rd worst bullpen ERA. On Sunday they blew a 6-0 late lead versus the Twins and ended up losing 7-6.

Diamondbacks Preview

Arizona starter Zack Davies has so-so numbers to start the year with a 4 35 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in eight starts and 39.1 innings.

While the D-Backs still aren’t a great hitting lineup, they’ve shown more pop at the plate in the last few weeks.

Christian Walker, David Peralta and Daulton Varsho lead the team with 10, 7 and 7; Peralta and Varsho are lefties facing the right-hander Greinke.

In Friday’s 10-6 win in Chicago, they mashed seven home runs against Cub pitching. David Peralta had two and Josh Rojas had three long flies. This could be a long game and series for Royals pitchers if Arizona keeps hitting for power.

Diamondbacks vs Royals Prediction

Neither Arizona or the Royals are great teams this year, but the D-Backs are playing better ball as of late winning 3 of 4 from the Cubs in Wrigley Field.

The Royals blew a six-run lead on Sunday to lose to the Twins, not a great way you want to end your home stand.

Both bullpens are bad as they have the 3rd and 4th worst ERAs in baseball, so that’s a wash. And Arizona has a slight edge in team hitting and pitching.

The D-backs have had more recent success and they’re playing at home, that’s why I’ll take the Snakes on the moneyline.

Prediction: Arizona Diamondbacks Moneyline

Interested in placing a bet on Monday’s Diamondbacks vs Royals Interleague clash? Caesars Sports is offering up to a $1,500 match bet for first-time deposits in New Jersey, West Virginia, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Virginia, Tennessee, Arizona, New York and Louisiana.

First Pitch | MLB Betting Preview for May 23

Join Drew Martin and a rotating panel of guests for First Pitch as we break down the daily baseball slate from a betting perspective. The Orioles have three walk-off wins in their past four games. Can they keep riding that momentum into New York for a series with the Yankees? Join WagerTalk’s team of MLB betting experts every weekday at 1:45pm ET / 10:45am PT for First Pitch as we discuss the baseball betting slate.

WagerTalk Live Odds Screen

WagerTalk’s Live Odds Screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the MLB moneylines, run lines and betting percentages for all of Monday’s baseball games, including this Diamondbacks vs Royals showdown, from your desktop or phone.

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Meet the Author

Brian Ochsner graduated from Kansas State University with degrees in Accounting and Agribusiness. He’s a life-long baseball fan and “numbers guy” who tolerates the Colorado Rockies (bad ownership), and is a Denver Broncos and Kansas State Wildcats fan. Along with his interest in the sports wagering industry, he enjoys eating good BBQ, reading books on marketing, finance and economics, and playing Texas Hold ‘Em poker.

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