Royals vs. Rangers prediction and odds for Monday, April 10 (Back KC as underdogs)

It's been a slow start for the rebuilding Royals, who enter just 3-7 on the year behind a floundering offense.

However, the team will trot out veteran Zack Greinke, who has looked far from an aging right hander, posting a sub-3.00 ERA through two starts. He will face a 5-4 Rangers squad that has an explosive offense, but will send struggling left hander Andrew Heaney to the mound.

Can Kansas City pick up an upset road victory to start this series? Let's break it all down by first checking out the odds:

Royals vs. Rangers odds, run line and total

Royals vs. Rangers prediction and pick

The Royals have struggled so far this season against left handed pitching, which Heaney is, hitting .215 in a limited sample size. However, this is a team that is very similar to last year's roster and hit .255 as a group, 11th best in the big leagues. I like KC to get on track against Heaney, who has bounced around the league since 2020 and posted a near 5.00 ERA since then. He couldn't get out of the third inning in his first start this season after allowing seven earned runs.

On the other side, I'll trust Greinke to outperform this price given that he is mastering how to generate soft contact. Despite the age of 39, Greinke is still performing well for the Royals, he has allowed only three earned runs across more than 11 innings of work so far this season, walking only two batters.

The Rangers don't walk much, 23rd in BB%, and are 18th in wRC+. The team isn't doing a good job of getting runners on base and bringing them home, 20th in slugging percentage. Greinke has not looked his age so far this season, and I think the Rangers offense is overrated and isn't producing just yet.

I'll take the Royals on the moneyline and for Greinke to get his first win of the year.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.