The Kansas City Royals (82-74) travel to face off against the Washington Nationals (69-87) on Tuesday, September 24th. This game will be played at Nationals Park in Washington and televised on MASN. Both the Royals and Nationals are looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. First pitch is set for 5:45 CT.
Royals vs. Nationals Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Royals (-172)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 8 Runs
- In the last 15 games, the Royals have scored 5 or more runs in 6 games, showing a strong offensive capability.
- The Royals have won 3 out of their last 4 away games, indicating good recent performance on the road.
- Kansas City has a recent win against a strong team, the Yankees, with a score of 5-0 on September 10th, demonstrating their ability to compete against tough opponents.
- In their last 15 games, the Royals have won 4 games where they scored 4 or more runs, showing they can capitalize on offensive opportunities.
- The Royals have a higher league rank (5th in AL Central) compared to the Nationals (13th in NL East), suggesting a relatively stronger overall season performance.
Royals vs Nationals
The Nationals Took The Last Game Of This Series
To close out their series vs. the Giants, the Royals fell by a score of 2-0. This was especially tough, as they held the lead in the series going into the game. Kansas City was the -110 favorite at home. It was the Giants who scored both of the game’s runs, picking up a pair of runs in the 2nd inning.
Seth Lugo put together a good start for the Royals, going seven innings and giving up just two runs on three hits. He only had five strikeouts in the outing and took the loss. Kansas City’s offense was held scoreless, and their three hits were all singles.
After losing eight of their last ten games, the Royals are 7.5 games behind the Guardians in the AL Central and have dropped two straight series. Their overall series record is 22-26-2, and their average run margin in wins is 4.0 runs per game.
On the run line, the Royals are 85-71 this season, including a 46-32 record as underdogs. Their games have averaged 8.7 runs, and their overall O/U record is 68-83. The O/U record for games with an 8-run total is 16-17-3.
Cole Ragans Gets The Start For The Royals
Kansas City is sending left-hander Cole Ragans to the mound today vs. the Nationals. He has made 31 starts this year and has a record of 11-9 with a 3.24 ERA. Ragans most recent outing came on September 17th, where he finished with a no-decision. In that start, he went seven innings and gave up one earned run on six hits. Looking back further, he has turned in a quality start in 20 of his outings and has a total of 217 strikeouts. Ragans’ WHIP for the season is currently 1.15.
Royals Offense Breakdown
As a team, the Royals are averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 12th in the league. They have been a better offensive team at home, averaging 4.8 runs per game. Overall, they are 7th in the league in batting average and have the 2nd fewest strikeouts in the league. Kansas City is also among the league leaders in team slugging percentage and isolated power.
Over his last nine games, Bobby Witt Jr. has gone 11/31 with two homers and nine RBIs. This has helped him take over the team lead in batting average (.334) and RBIs (108). He is also 9th in the league in home runs. Salvador Perez is 2nd on the team with 27 homers and has driven in 103 runs this season.
The Nationals Took The Last Game Of This Series
Washington closed out their series vs. the Cubs with a 5-0 loss. Heading into the game, the Nationals were the +176 underdog. Things started off well for the Nationals, as they got on the board with a run in the 1st inning but gave up the lead right away as the Cubs scored twice in the bottom of the first.
Jake Irvin got the start for the Nationals and took the loss. He only lasted four innings, giving up five earned runs on four hits. Offensively, the Nationals had eight hits but didnjson’t score a run after the 1st inning.
Washington has an overall record of 69-87, putting them 4th in the NL East, 23.5 games behind the Phillies. The Nationals are 36-39 at home and 33-48 on the road. They have a 19-25-6 series record this season and are currently on a three-game winning streak at home.
On the run line, the Nationals are 86-70, with a -0.7 run differential per game. Their over/under record is 73-77, and when the O/U line is set at 8 runs, their record is 10-11-1. This season, 66.0% of their games have had O/U lines higher than 8 runs, and they are currently on a 3-game under streak.
Mitchell Parker Gets The Start For The Nationals
Left-hander Mitchell Parker gets the start for the Nationals today as he faces the Royals at home. Parker has made 28 starts this season and has a record of 7-10 with a 4.44 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Parker has a WHIP of 1.30 and has pitched a total of 146 innings. Opposing batters are hitting .256 this season off Parker. In his last outing, he took the loss, giving up five earned runs in 3 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had turned in a solid outing, going 6 1/3 innings and giving up just two hits and no earned runs.
Nationals Offense Breakdown
Washington’s offense has been one of the worst in the league this season, averaging just 4.1 runs per game, which is 24th in the MLB. They have also been one of the league’s worst home run-hitting teams, coming into the game ranked 22nd in the league. As a team, the Nationals are batting .243, which is 12th in the league.
CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr. have been the Nationals’ top power threats this season. Abrams comes into the game with a team-high 20 homers, while Garcia Jr. is right behind him with 16. Abrams is also the team’s top run producer, with 65 RBIs. Joey Gallo has two homers in his last four games and is 4/11 in that stretch, while Jose Tena has gone 7/19 in his last five games.
Royals vs Nationals Prediction
Our predicted final score for this game is 5-4 in favor of the Royals, and we would recommend taking the Royals on the money line. However, with the payout being just -172, we would actually recommend taking the over, as we see this game going over the 8 run line.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Mitchell Parker finishing with five strikeouts compared to Cole Ragans with five as well. However, we have Parker going just five innings compared to Ragans, who we have going six.
Offensively, we have the Royals finishing with nine hits compared to the Nationals with nine. However, we have the Nationals finishing with just four runs compared to the Royals with five.
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 24, 2024 Nationals, Royals