Kansas City Royals vs
San Diego PadresPredictions & Preview

San Diego Padres favored to kick off 2025 MLB season against Kansas City Royals

The 2025 Major League Baseball season will kick off on Friday, June 20th with the Kansas City Royals facing off against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego, CA. The Padres are the favorites according to betting odds, with Nick Pivetta set to start against Michael Lorenzen for the Royals. Last season, the Padres won two out of three games against the Royals in Kansas City. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting matchup and check out our MLB picks for Friday night. The first pitch is scheduled for 9:40 PM ET.

Betting Odds

• Moneyline: Royals +147 | Padres -162
• Spread: Royals +1.5 (-150) | Padres -1.5 (+130)
• Total: Over/Under 7.5 (-110)
• Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that San Diego will win straight-up is 62%.

Kansas City vs San Diego Stats

Kansas City Royals

Thursday's games were excluded from the analysis, with the Kansas City Royals visiting the Texas Rangers in hopes of sweeping a three-game set at Globe Life Field. The Royals won the first two games, ending a six-game losing streak, but have only won three of their previous 11 games overall. Their offense has struggled, scoring just 33 runs during that stretch with a .239/.292/.380 triple-slash. Their bullpen has a 4.17 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. Michael Lorenzen is expected to pitch on Friday night, with a 4-7 record and a 4.91 ERA this season. He has struggled against the San Diego Padres in his career, with a 1-3 record and a 6.12 ERA. The Royals are currently ranked 25th in power rankings, 29th in offense, and 4th in defense, with a 37-38 record for the season.

San Diego Padres Analysis

The San Diego Padres, currently 39-34, are aiming to end a three-game losing streak and avoid being swept in a four-game series against the LA Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. The Padres have struggled recently, dropping three consecutive series and winning only four of their last 14 games. They are currently six games behind the NL West-leading Dodgers and hold the bottom wild card spot in the National League. Nick Pivetta is set to start the upcoming game, with a 7-2 record and 3.40 ERA in 2025. The Padres have a power ranking of 14 and are ranked #18 for offense and #11 for defense, scoring an average of 4.21 runs per game and giving up 3.95 points per game. The Royals have won two of their last three matchups against the Padres.

Pivetta Continues Strong Form While Lorenzen Struggles Ahead of Padres vs. Royals Matchup

Michael Lorenzen had a challenging end to May and a rough start to June, with subpar performances in both outings for the Reds. On the contrary, Nick Pivetta showed improvement in his most recent game against the Diamondbacks after a couple of difficult starts earlier in the month. Based on recent statistics, Pivetta is expected to have another solid performance against the struggling Royals, who have struggled against right-handed pitchers in the last 10 days. In contrast, the Padres have excelled against right-handed pitchers in the same timeframe. Therefore, I predict that San Diego will continue their success against the Royals in the upcoming game.

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