The Kansas City Royals (84-74) travel to face off against the Washington Nationals (69-89) on Thursday, September 26th. This game will be played at Nationals Park in Washington and televised on MASN. The Royals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Nationals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Royals. First pitch is set for 12:05 CT.
Royals vs. Nationals Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Nationals (+145)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 8.5 Runs
- The Nationals have won 4 out of their last 6 home games.
- The Nationals have scored 4 or more runs in 5 of their last 6 home games.
- The Royals have lost 7 of their last 10 games.
- The Royals have a losing record on the road, with 39 wins and 38 losses.
- The Nationals have a higher league rank (13th) compared to the Royals (15th).
Royals vs Nationals
Thanks to a two-run sixth inning for the Royals’ offense, they picked up a 3-0 road win over the Nationals in the most recent game of this series. Heading into the game, the Royals were favored at -139 on the money line.
Kansas City got on the board with one run in the third and added their final two runs in the top of the 6th. As for the Nationals, they could only muster two hits and didn’t score a run in the game until the 9th inning.
Michael Lorenzen only went 2 1/3 innings for the Royals but didn’t give up a hit or a run. He finished the game with just two strikeouts and issued two walks. Lucas Erceg got the save. DJ Herz went five innings for the Nationals, giving up one earned run on three hits.
After losing two straight series, the Royals are 2-8 in their last 10 games and trail the Guardians by 7.5 games in the AL Central with an 84-74 record. Kansas City’s run line record on the road is 43-34, and their overall run line record is 86-72, resulting in a +0.6 run differential per game.
This season, the Royals have gone 17-27 when the O/U line is set at 8.5 runs, and their games have averaged 8.6 runs. Heading into today’s game, the under has hit in their last three games.
Michael Wacha Gets The Start For The Royals
Michael Wacha gets the start for the Royals today as he faces the Nationals on the road. So far this season, he has made 28 starts and has a record of 13-8. Wacha’s ERA is 3.29, and he is coming off a rough outing where he took the loss, going 5 2/3 innings and giving up two earned runs. Before that, he had won two straight starts. One positive for Wacha is that he has a batting average allowed of .244 and has turned in 14 quality starts. Per nine innings, he is averaging 7.96 strikeouts and 2.45 walks.
Royals Offense Breakdown
Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr. have been the Royals’ top power threats this season, as Witt Jr. leads the team with 32 homers, and Perez has gone deep 27 times. Witt Jr. is also batting .333 for the season, while Perez is hitting .272. Witt Jr. has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 8/21 in his last six games.
As a team, the Royals are 13th in scoring at 4.6 runs per game. One thing to note is that they are 2nd in the league in strikeouts and have not been a very patient team at the plate, as they are 27th in walks. Overall, they are batting .250, which is 7th in the MLB.
Washington has an overall run line record of 87-71 this season, with a 46-35 record on the road and 41-36 at home. They have been a better bet as the underdog, going 74-56 on the run line. The Nationals are 25-32 as the home underdog, and 15-13 as the favorite.
Looking at the NL East standings, the Nationals are 24.5 games behind the Phillies with a 69-89 record. They have lost three straight games and are down 0-2 in the series against the Royals. The O/U line for today’s game is set at 8.5 runs, and Washington’s games have gone under in five straight, bringing their season average to 8.8 runs per game.
Patrick Corbin Gets The Start For The Nationals
Left-hander Patrick Corbin gets the start for the Nationals today as he faces the Royals at home. Corbin has made 31 starts this season and has a record of 6-13 with an ERA of 5.58. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up five earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Corbin’s WHIP for the season is 1.51, and he has a total of nine quality starts. Per nine innings, Corbin is averaging 7.23 strikeouts and 2.82 walks.
Nationals Offense Breakdown
As a team, the Nationals are averaging 4 runs per game, which is only 25th in the league. They have been slightly better on the road (4.1 RPG) than at home (4.0 RPG). So far, they have been one of the league’s worst home run-hitting teams and are batting just .241, which is 15th in the MLB. Washington’s team on-base percentage of .308 is also just 14th in the league.
CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr. come into the game as the Nationals’ top home run hitters, with 20 and 16 homers, respectively. They are also the team’s co-leaders in RBIs, with 65. Abrams is batting just .246 this season, and Garcia Jr. is hitting .278. Over his last seven games, Joey Gallo has gone 4/19 with two homers.
Royals vs Nationals Prediction
With the Nationals being at home and having a money line of +145, that is the route we recommend going for this game. Our predicted final score is 5-4 in favor of the Nationals, meaning you could also look to take the over, as the line is sitting at 8.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Michael Wacha lasting just three innings, and he is also projected to finish with five strikeouts. As for Patrick Corbin, he is predicted to go eight innings but finish with five K’s.
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 26, 2024 Nationals, Royals