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The Atlanta Braves are in their most important stretch of the season as they sit a game back of the New York Mets for the last wild-card spot. The Kansas City Royals thought they'd be in a similar position. However, a collapse by the Minnesota Twins has them one game from a playoff spot after Thursday night, making this series only about the placement in the wild card unless they lose all three and the Twins sweep their series. The Royals should be in a better position, but they won just three of their last ten games to plummet in the standings. The Braves have won five of their past six games to get back in the National League wild-card race. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Royals-Braves prediction and pick.
Royals-Braves Projected Starters
Brady Singer vs. Max Fried
Brady Singer is 9-12 with a 3.73 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP.
Singer's last start was at home against the San Francisco Giants which the Royals lost 9-0. He pitched 5 1/3 innings with six strikeouts, allowing seven hits, one walk, six earned runs, and a whopping four home runs.
Singer is 3-5 on the road with a 4.25 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. He has been much better at home, dropping his ERA by nearly a full run and his WHIP by over .30.
Max Fried is 10-10 with a 3.42 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP.
Fried's last start was on the road against the Miami Marlins which the Braves won 6-2. He pitched 6 innings with six strikeouts, allowing five hits, one walk, and one earned run.
Fried is 3-4 at home with a 3.66 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Royals-Braves Odds
Kansas City Royals: +1.5 (-125)
Moneyline: +165
Atlanta Braves: -1.5 (+105)
Moneyline: -200
Over: 7.5 (-110)
Under: 7.5 (-110)
How to Watch Royals vs. Braves
Time: 7:20 PM ET/4:20 PM PT
TV: Bally Sports Network
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why The Royals Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Royals need one more win or a Twins loss to clinch a playoff berth. They've been struggling mightily, and so has Singer. Their recent three-game sweep of the Washington Nationals could bring them the confidence they need to get back on track. They'll need to figure it out soon, as they have just three games before the postseason begins.
Why The Braves Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Braves have an interesting scenario after their games against the Royals this weekend. Their series against the New York Mets was interrupted by a hurricane, which caused the MLB to postpone two of their games to a doubleheader on Monday. As things stand, it could be an intriguing day of baseball, as the Braves are a game back of the Mets for a wild-card position. The Braves must win these games against the Royals to ensure Monday's games mean something.
The Braves have averaged 3.7 runs/nine more than the Royals over the last ten games, and Singer allowed 13 earned runs over his past three starts. Atlanta went through a rough stretch which put them out of the playoff race, but it seems like they're catching fire at the right time. They've won five of their past six games and the offense scored 5+ runs in each.
Final Royals-Braves Prediction & Pick
The Braves have been the team in much better form and it seems like nothing will stop them in their quest to knock off the Mets and advance to the postseason. Baseball needs a doubleheader showdown for the last wild-card position on Monday, so pick the Braves to take care of business this weekend.
Final Royals-Braves Prediction & Pick:
