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The Kansas City Royals look to get closer to a playoff birth as they face the Washington Nationals. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Royals-Nationals prediction and pick.
Royals-Nationals Projected Starters
Michael Lorenzo vs. DJ Herz
Michael Lorenzo (7-6) with a 3.43 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP
Last Start: Lorenzo went just 1.2 innings in his last start giving up a hit and a walk. He would leave the game early and head to the IL.
2024 Road Splits: Lorenzo is 5-4 in 14 starts on the road this year. He has a 3.72 ERA and a .225 opponent batting average.
DJ Herz (4-8) with a 4.30 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP
Last Start: Herz went just 3.1 innings, giving up six hits and three walks. He would give up seven runs in a loss to the Mets.
2024 Home Splits: Herz is 3-5 in 11 starts at home this year, with a 3.78 ERA and a .229 opponent batting average.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Royals-Nationals Odds
Kansas City Royals: -1.5 (+134)
Moneyline: -118
Washington Nationals: +1.5 (-162)
Moneyline: +100
Over: 7.5 (-120)
Under: 7.5 (-102)
How to Watch Royals vs. Nationals
Article Continues Below
Time: 6:45 PM ET/ 3:45 PM PT
TV: BSKC/MASN2
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why The Royals Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Royals are 12th in the majors in runs scored while sitting seventh in batting average, 18th in on-base percentage, and 12th in slugging. Bobby Witt Jr. has led the way this year. He is hitting .334 on the year with a .390 on-base percentage. Witt has 32 home runs and 108 RBIs. Further, he has stolen 30 bases and scored 124 times. Salvador Perez has also been great this year. He is hitting .271 on the year with 27 home runs, 103 RBIs and 57 runs scored on the year. Rounding out the top bats on the year is Maikel Garcia. He is hitting .237 on the year with a .283 on-base percentage. Garcia has seven home runs, 58 RBIs, and 84 runs scored on the year. He has also stolen 36 bases.
It has been a rough go of things for the Royals at the plate as of late. They are hitting just .169 in the last week, with just three extra-base hits, and four runs scored in five games. Bobby Witt Jr. has been the best in the last week. He is hitting .400 in the last week with a .571 on-base percentage. He has two doubles, but has not driven in a run, but scored twice in the last week. Yuli Gurriel has hit .235 in the last week. He has an RBI and a run scored in the last week. Finally, Tommy Pham has scored the other run but is hitting just .167 in the last week.
Why The Nationals Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Nationals are 24th in the majors in runs scored while sitting 15th in batting average, 17th in on-base percentage, and 24th in slugging. CJ Abrams had been one of the best bats this year but was demoted to the minors after breaking curfew. Luis Garcia has also led the way this year. He is hitting .281 on the year with a .319 on-base percentage. He has 16 home runs, 65 RBIs, and has scored 54 times this year. Further, he has stolen 21 bases. Also playing well this year is Keibert Ruiz. He is hitting .224 on the year with 13 home runs, 53 RBIs, and 45 runs scored. James Wood has also been solid since coming up to the majors. He is hitting .266 on the year with a .358 on-base percentage. He has eight home runs, 39 RBIS, and 39 runs scored this year.
Joey Gallo has been the top bat in the last week. He is hitting .286 in the last week with two home runs, six RBIs, and two runs scored. James Wood is not hitting well but has been productive. He is hitting .182 in the last week with a .308 on-base percentage. He has a home run, three RBIs, and two runs scored. Jose Tena has also been solid in the last week. He is hitting .304 in the last week with an RBI and a run scored in the last week. The Nationals are hitting just .227 in the last week, with three RBIs and 13 runs scored in the past six games.
Final Royals-Nationals Prediction & Pick
Michael Lorenzo has been solid since joining the Royals. He has pitched 24.1 innings, giving up five runs, and the Royals have gone 3-2 in those five games. DJ Herz has been up and down as of late. In his last five starts, he has two starts without giving up a run while one start giving up just one run. In the other two games, he has given up 11 runs in eight innings of work, while the Nationals have gone 3-2 in his last five starts. Meanwhile, the Royals are still in the midst of a playoff hunt. Both teams are struggling at heavily at the plate. The Royals are scoring less than a run per game in the last week, while the Nationals are scoring just over two runs per game in the last week. With the Nationals having little to play for, and their best player now in the minors, take the Royals.
Final Royals-Nationals Prediction & Pick: Royals ML (-118)
