Two of the top teams in the American League will tangle this evening as the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers kick off a three game set in Arlington. Tonight's series opener is scheduled for a 8:05pm ET start at Rangers Ballpark. MLB Odds and Predictions have Texas listed as a -170 moneyline favorite; the game total is set at 9 with the Under drawing -120 odds.
Kansas City improved to an astonishing 12-7 last night after overcoming the AL Central leading Indians 3-2 at Kauffman 
Stadium. The victory earned the Royals a split in their four game set with Cleveland and helped them cap off their eight game home stand with a 5-3 record.
KC got another solid outing from fifth starter Sean O'Sullivan, who allowed five hits and two earned runs over six innings, but some late heroics at the plate helped the team get the key victory. The Royals tagged the Indians Chris Perez for three hits and two earned runs in the bottom of the ninth for their fourth walk-off win of the season.
Getting the start for Kansas City tonight is former Rockies hurler Jeff Francis. Francis has earned four quality starts in his first four appearances this season, allowing just nine earned runs in 27 innings of work, but the Royals are 1-3 in those outings.
The Vancouver native will be making his second career appearance against the Rangers tonight. His first start against Texas did not go well as he yielded eight hits and five earned runs in 5 2/3 innings.
The Rangers, now 11-7 and sitting second in the AL West after dropping last night's series finale with the Angels, will counter the left handed Francis with 24 year old Derek Holland. Holland, who is also a southpaw, owns a 2-1 record and 3.66 ERA in three starts, but he did get roughed up in his last outing. The Yankees pounded the Ohio native for eight hits and five earned runs in a 2-5 Texas' loss.
Holland will be making his third appearances against the Royals this evening; in his two previous showing against Kansas City he allowed nine hits and five earned runs in just under six innings.
Texas has won seven of the last nine in this series; however, the Royals have taken two of the last four, all of which were played at Kauffman Stadium.
Royals vs Rangers Odds 2011 MLB Predictions:
Kansas City Royals +1.5 (-135), Over 9 (+100), +150 (Moneyline)
Texas Rangers -1.5 (+115), Under 9 (-120), -170 (Moneyline)
