The Kansas City Royals send Michael Wacha to the mound as they face the Pittsburgh Pirates. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Royals-Pirates prediction and pick.
Royals-Pirates Projected Starters 3
Michael Wacha vs. Mitch Keller
Michael Wacha (12-7) with a 3.34 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP
Last Start: Wacha went seven innings, giving up four hits and a walk. He did not give up a run as he took the win over the Twins.
2024 Road Splits: Wacha is 5-5 on the road in 13 starts with a 3.81 ERA and a .244 opponent batting average.
Mitch Keller (11-9) with a 3.85 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP
Last Start: Mitch Keller went six innings, giving up seven hits last time out. He gave up two runs and took a no-decision as the Pirates lost to the Nationals.
2024 Home Splits: In six starts and 17 appearances at home, Ortiz is 2-2 with a 3.65 ERA. He also has a .223 opponent batting average.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Royals-Pirates Odds
Kansas City Royals: -1.5 (+168)
Moneyline: -102
Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (-205)
Moneyline: -116
Over: 8 (-108)
Under: 8 (-112)
How to Watch Royals vs. Pirates
Time: 1:05 PM ET/ 10:05 AM PT
TV: BSKC/SNP
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why The Royals Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Royals are ninth in the majors in runs scored while sitting seventh in batting average, 16th in on-base percentage, and 11th in slugging. Bobby Witt Jr. has led the way this year. He is hitting .333 on the year with a .385 on-base percentage. Witt has 30 home runs and 99 RBIs. Further, he has stolen 28 bases and scored 120 times. Salvador Perez has also been great this year. He is hitting .278 on the year with 26 home runs, 101 RBIs and 56 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 .282 on-base percentage. He has seven home runs, 55 RBIs, and 83 runs scored on the year. He has also stolen 33 bases.
Salvador Perez has been the top bat in the last week. He is hitting .400 in the last week with a .458 on-base percentage. He has a home run, seven RBIs, and a run scored in the last week. Meanwhile, Hunter Renfroe is also hot at the plate. He is hitting .313 in the last week with a home run, three RBIS, and a run scored. Rounding out the best bats in the last week with Michael Massey. He is hitting .278 in the last week with two home runs, two RBIs, and two runs scored. The Royals have hit .242 in the last week, with five home runs and 23 runs scores in the last six games.
Current Royals have 42 career at-bats against Mitch Keller. They have hit .286 against him. Robbie Grossman is 5-8 against Keller, while Tomy Pham is 3-13. Paul DeJong is the only one with an RBI, as he is 1-10 with a home run and two RBIs against Keller.
Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Pirates are 20th in the majors in runs scored while sitting 23rd in batting average, 26th in on-base percentage, and 26th in slugging. Bryan Reynolds leads the way. He is hitting .279 this year with a .346 on-base percentage. He has 22 home runs and 83 RBIs. Further, he has scored 70 times this year. Oneil Cruz has also been solid this year. He has a .266 batting average and a .325 on-base percentage on the year. Cruz has 19 home runs, 72 RBIs, and 65 runs scored. Rowdy Tellez rounds out the top bats of the year. He is hitting .249 this year with 13 home runs, 54 RBIs, and 38 runs scored.
Bryan Reynolds has led the way in the last week. He is hitting .261 in the last week with five RBIs and three runs scored. Andrew McCutchen is also having a solid week. He is hitting .357 in the last week with two home runs and four RBIs while scoring twice. Rounding out the top bats as of late is Oneil Cruz. Cruz is hitting .222 with a .286 on-base percentage. He has a home run, four RBIs, and three runs scored. The Pirates are hitting .249 in the last week with seven home runs and 28 runs scored in the last six games.
Current Pirates have 92 career at-bats against Michael Wacha. They have hit .315 against Wacha. Andrew McCutchen is 14-42 with two doubles, a triple, and two home runs, with five RBIs. Meanwhile, Yasmani Grandal is 5-21 with a home run and three RBIs, while Rowdy Tellez is one for three with a home run.
Final Royals-Pirates Prediction & Pick
Michael Wacha has been solid as of late. In his last seven starts, he has given up two or fewer runs in six of the last seven starts. Further, the Royals are 5-2 in those seven starts. It has been a struggle for Mitch Keller as of late. In his last six starts, he has given up 23 runs in 27.1 innings of work. Further, the Pirates have gone 1-4 in those games. Neither offense is hitting well overall and Wacha will be the difference in this one.
Final Royals-Pirates Prediction & Pick: Royals ML (-102)
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