Say it isn’t so. The Oakland A’s are in jeopardy of being swept, at home, by the worst team in baseball—Kansas City Royals. The Royals are playing just .260 ball, but you would think they are the New York Yankees if you have watched them over the past two games in Oakland. The Royals have managed to beat the A’s 6-4 and 8-7. Last night the Royals scored one run in the ninth to tie the game at 7-7 and one in the tenth to win it. Their effort was helped by a four run first inning.

What makes matters worse for some bettors is that the A’s have been over $2 favorites in this series. It teaches us a great lesson on why smart bettors should never lay good money on average teams. The Oakland A’s are only 23-29 this season—that’s right .442, yet they were $2+ favorites. Who did not see this train wreck coming? The A’s are also 1-9 over their last 10, including three losses in a row.

Today, it’s more of the same as the A’s are -221. Is Joe Blanton and the A’s up for the task or will Scott Elarton and the Royals make a sweep of it? Can anyone out there please present a logical argument why the A’s are such huge favorites again? It’s definitely not the pitcher. Joe Blanton is 4-5 with a 6.02 ERA, while Scott Elarton is 1-5 with a 4.76 ERA. It’s most likely due to the perception factor. Everyone knows the Royals are worst in the league, so therefore, the A’s must win. Of course, that logic has failed for two games now.

By the way, Joe Blanton has one previous start against the Royals this year. He managed just five innings and gave up five walks, six hits, 4 runs and one home run. While Elarton was hammered his last outing against the A’s, it was not indicative of his form. He’s no superstar, but giving up 5 runs and pitching 2 innings is not normal. What is normal for him is pitching 6-7 innings and giving up 3-5 runs. Something to think about if you are betting this game.