The Texas Rangers close out a nine-game home stand with a game against the Nationals on Thursday afternoon against the Nationals. They will then travel to take on a rested Kansas City Royals team, fresh off a series win over the struggling Blue Jays. The defending World Series Champion Texas Rangers haven't started as fans would have hoped, owning a 16-15 record. It could be just the dreaded championship hangover, and you can fully expect the Rangers to be a contender at the end of the season. The American League Central is a battle this season, with four teams all in range of first place with winning percentages over .567. It is time to continue our MLB odds series with a Rangers-Royals prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.

Michael Lorenzen will get the start for the Rangers. He won his first two starts of the season with quality outings, including a scoreless five-inning start against the Tigers to start the season after he missed the first three weeks with a neck strain. His last start against the Reds didn't go as well, giving up five earned runs in six innings of work and suffering an 8-4 loss.

Brady Singer is the Royals' projected starter. He's performed well in five of his six starts to begin the season, allowing two or fewer earned runs. His lone poor start was a 5-3 loss to the Blue Jays, where he allowed all five earned runs. His team has failed to give him adequate run support, as he's had three no decisions. However, it could be just as much his fault, as he's given up three walks in three straight games, which increases his pitch count and costs him to not get past the fifth inning. He pitched into the seventh in his first two starts but hasn't made it there since.

Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Rangers-Royals Odds

Texas Rangers: -1.5 (+158)

Moneyline: -104

Kansas City Royals: +1.5 (-192)

Moneyline: -112

Over: 9 (-105)

Under: 9 (-115)

How to Watch Rangers vs. Royals

Time: 7:40 PM ET/4:40 PM PT

TV: TXA, Bally Sports Network

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Rangers Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Royals are averaging more runs/nine over their last ten games than the Rangers, but their numbers say they shouldn't be. They have a .284 on-base percentage, averaging just 0.7 home runs per game, a lower walk rate than the Rangers, and are even in hits and average. If the Royals' offensive output get some regression, the Rangers can steal this game on the road.

Why The Royals Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Rangers kept their heads above water over the last ten games, winning just half of their outings. They are in the top ten in home runs for the season, but they've been hitting them at a much higher rate over the last ten. If that wasn't the case, they may have lost some of their close victories over that span. It's hard to rely on just power hitting when the game changes in October, but the Rangers can manage during the early summer.

Their problem for this game is that Singer only allowed four home runs over his first six starts and is primarily a groundball pitcher. There's a reason that Singer isn't allowing a lot of earned runs, and if he can keep the Rangers' power bats at bay, it could be a long day for the Texas hitters.

Final Rangers-Royals Prediction & Pick

The Royals offense has been performing better, they have the better pitcher in this matchup, and they are coming off a big series win over the Blue Jays. The Royals get to rest back in Kansas City on Thursday, while the Rangers play a game against the Nationals and then travel for the Friday night game. Take Singer to slow down the Rangers' power hitters and win this game for Kansas City.

Click here for more betting news and predictions

Final Rangers-Royals Prediction & Pick: Royals +1.5 (-192)