The Kansas City Royals (81-67) travel to face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates (70-77) on Saturday, September 14th. This game will be played at PNC Park in Pittsburgh and televised on BSKC. The Royals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Pirates are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Royals. First pitch is set for 12:05 CT.
Royals vs. Pirates Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Pirates (-109)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 8 Runs
- The Pirates have won 6 of their last 10 games, indicating strong recent form.
- The Pirates have a home record of 37-39, while the Royals have an away record of 36-37, suggesting a slight home-field advantage for the Pirates.
- In their last 15 home games, the Pirates have scored an average of 5.2 runs per game.
- The Pirates have won 5 of their last 7 home games, showing a trend of strong performances at home.
- The Royals have lost 6 of their last 10 games, indicating weaker recent form compared to the Pirates.
Royals vs Pirates
Thanks to a six-run 2nd inning for the Royals’ offense, they cruised to an easy 8-3 win over the Pirates in the most recent game of this series. Heading into the game, the Royals were at -105 on the money line.
The starting pitching matchup for this game featured Alec Marsh for the Royals, and he went just 5 1/3 innings while giving up one run and striking out 11. Luis L. Ortiz only went four innings for the Pirates, giving up four earned runs on five hits.
Kyle Isbel and Salvador Perez each homered for the Royals, while Oneil Cruz went 2/5 with an RBI for the Pirates.
When betting the run line on the Kansas City Royals, they have been a profitable team with an 83-65 record against the run line. Their average run margin in all games is +0.7 runs per game, and they have won three straight games against the run line on the road. The Royals are 6-4 in their last 10 games and are 2nd in the AL Central, three games behind the Guardians.
This season, the Royals have played 92 games with over/under lines higher than 8 runs, making up 62.2% of their games. Their overall over/under record is 66-77, and when the total is 8 runs, they have a 14-14-3 O/U record. Kansas City is coming off a win over the Pirates and has a 45-30 record at home and 36-37 on the road.
Michael Wacha Gets The Start For The Royals
Michael Wacha gets the start for the Royals today as he faces off against the Pirates on the road. So far this season, he has made 26 starts and has a record of 12-7 to go along with an ERA of 3.34. Wacha’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.19. In his last outing, he pitched well, going seven innings and picking up the win. In that outing, he didn’t give up a run and allowed just four hits. Looking back, Wacha has given up two earned runs in three of his last four outings. Per nine innings, he is averaging 7.75 strikeouts and 2.38 walks.
Royals Offense Breakdown
Salvador Perez has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 12/30 (.400) in his last nine games, with two homers and nine RBIs. Perez is currently 4th in the league in RBIs and is 2nd on the team with 27 homers. Bobby Witt Jr. has been even better in the power department, as his 30 homers are the best mark on the team and 12th in the league. Witt Jr. also has a team-high 99 RBIs and is batting .332 for the season.
As a team, the Royals are 9th in the league in scoring, averaging 4.7 runs per game. They have been even better at home, putting up 5 runs per contest. Overall, they have the league’s 7th best batting average and are 2nd in the league in strikeouts. Kansas City comes into the game with four players on a hitting streak, including Bobby Witt Jr., who has a six-game streak going.
Currently, the Pirates are 70-77 overall and are 15 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. They trail the Reds by one game for 4th place. Pittsburgh’s overall series record this season is 20-21-6.
On the run line, the Pirates have been a better bet as the underdog with a 57-30 record, compared to 43-28 on the road. Their games have averaged 8.8 runs per game this season, and when the total has been set at 8 runs, they have a 16-16 O/U record.
Mitch Keller Gets The Start For The Pirates
Mitch Keller will be looking to bounce back from his last outing, where he finished with a no-decision. Against the Nationals, he went six innings, giving up two earned runs, and coming away with eight strikeouts. Keller has made 28 starts this season and has a record of 11-9. His ERA for the season is 3.85, along with a WHIP of 1.26. This year, opponents are batting .250 off the right-hander. Keller has turned in 14 quality starts and is averaging 8.41 strikeouts per nine innings. For the season, he has allowed 20 home runs.
Pirates Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Pirates are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 19th in the league. They have been slightly better at home, putting up 4.4 runs per game. Overall, they are 23rd in home runs and have a team batting average of .236. Pittsburgh’s team OPS of .674 is also one of the worst marks in the MLB.
Bryan Reynolds has been the Pirates’ top hitter this season, with a batting average of .281 to go along with a team-high 22 home runs and 84 RBIs. He is also on a four-game hitting streak and has gone 8/24 in his last six games. Andrew McCutchen has also been swinging the bat well of late, going 5/14 in his last four games with two homers.
Royals vs Pirates Prediction
There is a lot of value in taking the Pirates on the money line at -109, as they are our predicted winners in this one, and we have them taking it 5-4.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Mitch Keller finishing with five strikeouts compared to Michael Wacha with five. Keller is also projected to go one inning longer than Wacha, and we have him finishing with a better chance to pick up the win.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:September 14, 2024 Pirates, Royals