Some Friday evening interleave action will be on tap before you know it as the Washington Nationals battle it out with the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Join us for our MLB odds series where our Nationals-Royals prediction and pick will be revealed.
Entering play with a 21-29 record, the Nationals are fresh off of a 107-loss season a year ago and are clearly in rebuild mode. However, Washington has proven so far this season that they are a much-improved group and are headed in the direction that they want to be. After losing 8-6 to the San Diego Padres on Thursday, it will be up to the left-handed veteran in Patrick Corbin who is 3-5 with a 4.47 ERA on the year.
On the other side of things, the Kansas City Royals are also an organization that is trying to rebuild their team with young and talented prospects with the hopes that they can contend in the not-so-distant future. Unfortunately, the Royals come into this Friday night with a 15-36 record which is one of the worst records in all of baseball. Nevertheless, Kansas City will send out Jordan Lyles in an attempt to stop the bleeding even though the right-handed hurler is a horrendous 0-8 to go with a 7.15 ERA in ten starts on the season.
Here are the Nationals-Royals MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Nationals-Royals Odds
Washington Nationals: -1.5 (+146)
Kansas City Royals: +1.5 (-176)
Over: 9 (-122)
Under: 9 (+100)
How To Watch Nationals vs. Royals
TV: N/A
Stream: MLB.TV
Time: 8:10 ET/5:10 PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Nationals Could Cover The Spread
Having not squared off with the Royals since the 2019 season, don't be surprised if the Nationals' gameplay is to introduce themselves with a rude awakening. If there is one thing that the Nationals need to take care of in order to cover the spread this evening, it will end up falling on the shoulders of their southpaw twirler in Patrick Corbin. Believe it or not, despite what the numbers show, Corbin has been especially sharp of late. In fact, when looking at what went right in his last four starts overall, it is Corbin that has recorded four quality starts in a row and is turning back the clock in a big way. Furthermore, it has been the Nationals that have often struggled at times from the plate, so there is no doubt that Corbin could be Washington's one-way ticket to covering the spread.
In addition, the Nationals will need a valiant effort from third-baseman Jeimer Candelario who has been hotter than fish grease as of late. Believe it or not, but Candelario is 17-39 over the course of his past ten games and has been a vital part in helping the ‘Nats offense slightly come back to life. If he can continue his current hot streak, then watch out Nationals bettors!
Why The Royals Could Cover The Spread
In order for the Royals to find a way to cover the spread, they will have to put together a complete game given the fact that their margin of error will be extremely minuscule. However, there is no doubt that the Royals do have a few names throughout their lineup that can spell out trouble for the Nationals with one swing of the bat.
Obviously, due to the inconsistent ways of their starting pitching, Kansas City's offense will need to get things going from the get-go. On paper, KC possesses bottom-five numbers in regards to overall runs scored, batting average, on-base percentage, and even slugging percentage. While this might not bode well for those planning on wagering a few dollars on the Royals to cover the spread, it is hard to imagine that longtime KC catcher Salvador Perez won't have a say in this one at the plate.
Not only is Perez holding his own, but he is also leading the Royals in every major hitting statistic with his highly productive .280 batting average, his 11 home runs, and even his 28 RBIs on the young season. If this matchup turns into an offensive shootout, then Perez will need to be on his best behavior.
Above all else, the Royals' chances of covering the spread will mostly be up to Jordan Lyles who is one of the worst pitchers statistically in all of baseball. Indeed, his 7.14 ERA is the highest mark among MLB pitchers as he also has surrendered a whopping 14 home runs to opposing hitters thus far. While he definitely has the pitching arsenal to string together a solid outing, he is starting to wear the patience of the Kansas City Royals rather thin.
Final Nationals-Royals Prediction & Pick
At first glance, both clubs could desperately use a big-time win next to their names, but don't be shocked if the Washington Nationals come into Kansas City and steal the Royals' mojo in game one of this interleave series.
Final Nationals-Royals Prediction & Pick: Nationals -1.5 (+146)
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