Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Cincinnati Reds vs. Kansas City Royals Preview, Predictions and Betting Odds – Tuesday, May 27, 2025

Brady Singer vs Daniel Lynch

Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Kauffman Stadium plays host to an intriguing cross-league clash on Wednesday night as the Cincinnati Reds (27–28) take on the Kansas City Royals (29–26) in Game 2 of their midweek series. First pitch is scheduled for 7:40 p.m. ET, with regional broadcasts on FDSKC and FDSOH. As we dive into the Reds vs. Royals odds and predictions, expect a tight contest between two clubs looking to build momentum heading into June.

Both teams are sitting in the middle of their respective divisions – the Reds in third place in the NL Central, and the Royals in fourth in the AL Central -but feature two of the most electric shortstops in the game today: Elly De La Cruz for Cincinnati and Bobby Witt Jr. for Kansas City. In Tuesday’s opener, the Reds beat the Royals, riding a balanced offensive effort to a 7–4 win.

Reds vs. Royals Preview

Looking to even the series, Kansas City turns to left-hander Daniel Lynch, who makes just his second start of the season. His last outing came out of the bullpen against the Twins, where he allowed one earned run in just one-third of an inning. Despite the limited innings, Lynch has appeared in 22 games this year, posting a tidy 1.57 ERA with a 1.261 WHIP.

Cincinnati will counter with right-hander Brady Singer, making his 11th start of the season. Singer is 5–3 with a 4.88 ERA across 51.2 innings, and he’s coming off a steady performance against Pittsburgh, where he gave up two runs over five innings of work. Opponents are hitting .245 against him this season, and he’s averaging eight strikeouts per nine innings.

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At the plate, the Reds have been one of the more productive teams in the league, ranking ninth in runs per game (4.6). Over their last 10 contests, they’ve been hot, slugging .447 with 36 extra-base hits and a team batting average of .284.

Put up a triple-double pic.twitter.com/v2W8HW9TPl
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) May 26, 2025

The Royals, meanwhile, continue to struggle offensively. They rank 26th in total runs scored and are averaging just 3.3 runs per game. But they’ve been finding more consistency at the plate recently, batting .264 over their last 10 games and riding an 11-game hitting streak from leadoff man Maikel Garcia.

Reds vs. Royals Betting Odds

According to BetMGM, the contest may be close at Kauffman Stadium but the Reds may edge it out in a narrow victory.

Reds odds to win: -120
Royals odds to win: +100
Spread: Reds -1.5
Total: 8

Team	Spread	Total (8.5)	Money Line
Reds	-1.5 (+145)	Over 8 (-105)	-120
Royals	+1.5 (-180)	Under 8 (-115)	+100

Reds vs. Royals Predictions

Wednesday night’s matchup at Kauffman Stadium shapes up to be a tightly contested battle between two almost evenly matched clubs. The Reds, slight favorites on the money line, come in with momentum after a strong offensive showing in the opener, but they’ll face a Royals team eager to respond behind Daniel Lynch, who’s quietly been one of the more effective arms out of the Kansas City bullpen this season. While Brady Singer brings more experience to the mound, his inconsistency gives the Royals a real shot to stay competitive. Given the modest total (8.0), the sharp lean on Royals +1.5, and the balanced form of both lineups, especially with Elly De La Cruz and Bobby Witt Jr. leading the charge, this one has all the signs of a game that stays within a run or two.

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Score prediction: Reds 5, Royals 4
Total prediction: Over 8

Win probabilities:

Reds: ~54.5%
Royals: ~45.5%

Reds

Royals

Mohsin Baldiwala

mlb

Mohsin Baldiwala is a Master’s student in Journalism and freelance content producer who got hooked on baseball through Seinfeld’s hapless George Costanza. The same reason why he’s a Yankees fan. He writes about sports because he believes it can offer a brief escape from the world’s chaos. Even if that means enduring the heartbreak of the 2024 World Series.