Giants - Royals Game 2: Preview, Betting Odds, Prediction, TV Channel, Start Time For 2014 World Series

Having won their first eight games of the playoffs, the Kansas City Royals began the 2014 World Series as favorites to win their first title in 29 years. Heading into Game 2, the upstart American League champs are underdogs.

The San Francisco Giants easily won the opener in Kansas City, beating the Royals 7-1. The Giants scored three runs in the first inning and never looked back, 7-1. Giants ace Madison Bumgarner allowed just four baserunners and one run in seven innings.

They began the World Series as the slightest of underdogs, but now the Giants are -200 favorites to win it all at Bovada.lv. Kansas City’s betting odds have gone from -115 to +170.

Recent history is on the side of the Giants. In the last 11 World Series, only the 2009 New York Yankees came back from a Game 1 loss to win the championship.

The odds are in Kansas City’s favor for Game 2. The Royals (-115) are slight favorites over the Giants (+105) to tie up the series.

San Francisco had the clear pitching advantage in the opener, pitting Bumgarner against James Shields. The advantage isn’t as clear in Game 2, though the Giants’ starter has been better of late.

Jake Peavy was below-average in the first four months of the season, but he’s been terrific since joining the Giants, failing to allow more than two runs in a start since early August. Yordano Ventura has allowed seven runs in 13 playoff innings for the Royals, but he was one of Kansas City’s best pitchers after the All-Star Break, posting a 3.16 ERA.

Kansas City is favored at home, but playing at Kauffman Stadium might not help them much in the World Series. The Giants have been even better away from home this postseason, going 5-1. Game 1 was the Royals’ first home loss of the playoffs, but they hadn’t lost at all since the conclusion of the regular season. Through 162 games, Kansas City was five games better on the road than they were at home.

In the playoffs, the Royals have actually hit better on the road. While their batting average and on base percentage splits are almost identical, Kansas City has a .340 slugging percentage at home, compared to a .420 slugging percentage on the road.

Start Time: 8:07 p.m. ET

TV Channel: FOX

Live Online Stream Info: MLB.TV

Betting Odds: Royals-115, Giants+105,

Prediction: San Francisco 4, Kansas City 2