Kansas City Royals at Los Angeles Angels, MLB forecast
Win probability
Starts from the pregame forecast, then moves with the score and the time left after each inning. Above the line favors LAA.
Game center
From the ESPN box score.
Top performers
Royals- Jac CaglianoneBatting1-3
- Randy DobnakPitching5.2 IP, 0 ER, 6 K
Angels- Nolan SchanuelBatting3-3, 1 RBI
- Reid DetmersPitching8.0 IP, 0 ER, 11 K
Scoring summary
- 8Schanuel singled to right, Siri scored.0–1
The pick
Reconstructed from what was known before the game: the ratings at that point and the closing line.
Angels 59%
Forecast Elo ratings alone
How often that comes true: MLB favorites the forecast gave 55–60% have won 55.5% of 2,596 graded games.
- Market
- LAA 59%
- ML KC +142 / LAA -153
- Pre-line forecast
- LAA 55%
- Elo + market-implied
- Elo ratings
- LAA 49%
- Ratings vs. market
- −10.2 pts
- LAA: Elo 49.2%, market 59.4%
- Fair odds
- LAA -146
- KC +146 · the forecast as odds, no margin
- Pregame projection
- KC 3.6 – 4.4 LAA
- Margin from the forecast, posted total 8
How the number is built
Elo inputs in rating points (higher favors that team; 25–28 Elo is about a point of spread in football and basketball), then how the pieces combine.
| Factor | KC | LAA | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team rating | 1464 | 1443 | Elo entering the game; 1500 is league average |
| Home field | — | +18 | Worth 18 Elo in MLB |
| Starting pitchers | +11 | +9 | KC: Randy Dobnak: team allows 0.55 fewer runs than with its usual starter (≈4 weighted starts) · LAA: Reid Detmers: team allows 0.43 fewer runs than with its usual starter (≈10 weighted starts) |
| Elo ratings | KC +6 Elo | KC 50.8% | |
| Market-implied ratings | LAA 56.6% | Team strength as past closing lines priced it, same game context | |
| Pre-line forecast | LAA 55.5% | 15% Elo, 85% market-implied (log-odds blend) | |
| Forecast | LAA 59.4% | Follows the market (vig removed): in testing, adding the ratings made it less accurate | |
Tale of the tape
This season coming into the game, regular season, each number with its league rank (the longer the bar, the higher). Home and road: the host's record at home against the visitor's on the road. Opponent Elo: how strong the teams each has played are, 1st the toughest.
| KC | Stat | LAA |
|---|---|---|
| 23rd of 304.1 | Runs scored | 4.124th of 30 |
| 27th of 305.1 | Runs allowed | 4.823rd of 30 |
| 28th of 30−0.9 | Margin | −0.727th of 30 |
| 22nd of 304–6 | Last 10 | 5–58th of 30 |
| 30th of 3021–43 | Road vs home | 28–3527th of 30 |
| 14th of 301500 | Opponent Elo | 149922nd of 30 |
| 27th of 301464 | Elo rating | 144328th of 30 |
Rating history
Each team's Elo over the last two seasons. Hover or drag to compare on any date.
Recent form
Last five results, and whether the forecast hit.
Against the line
How each team has done against the closing spread and total, coming into this game.
| This season |  KC |  LAA |
|---|---|---|
| Run line | 62–61 | 56–67 |
| Last 10 | 5–5 | 5–5 |
| Favorite | 14–26 | 8–24 |
| Underdog | 48–35 | 48–43 |
| Overs–unders | 57–62–4 | 52–69–2 |
| Overs–unders, last 10 | 6–3–1 | 2–7–1 |
Against each game's closing line. Books set every line knowing these records: across 3,901 past games, the team with the better record against the spread so far that season covered 51.2%, short of the 52.4% a standard −110 bet needs, and over/under streaks held 48.0% of the time. They describe the past.
Head to head
KC 14–9 LAA in their last 23 meetings; the forecast called 15 of 23.