There appears to be a chance for light rain in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, as the forecasted temperature is 70 degrees. Michael Wacha will start for the Royals, and they are facing the Nationals, who will send Patrick Corbin to the mound. The money line odds have the Royals as the favorite, and they are 84-74 this season, while the Nationals are 69-89.
The over/under line is currently at 8.5 runs, and MASN will be televising this interleague matchup. First pitch from Nationals Park is set for 1:05 PM ET. The Nationals are +145 on the money line compared to the Royals at -174. In the AL Central, the Royals are on a two-game winning streak.
Kansas City vs. Washington Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Royals at Nationals
- Where: Nationals Park Washington
- Date: Thursday, September 26th
- Betting Odds KC -174 | WSH +145 O/U 8.5
Royals vs Nationals Last Game Recap
Thanks to a two-run sixth inning for the Royals' offense, they picked up a 3-0 road win over the Nationals in the most recent game of this series. Heading into the game, the Royals were favored at -139 on the money line.
Kansas City got on the board with one run in the third and added two insurance runs in the 6th. As for the Nationals, they had their best scoring chance in the 7th, but could only muster two hits and left seven runners on base.
Michael Massey, Salvador Perez, and Robbie Grossman each had two hits and an RBI for the Royals' offense. Perez also scored the game's first run in the 3rd. As for the Nationals, DJ Herz gave up just one earned run in five innings of work.
Royals Preview
After losing two straight series, the Royals are looking to bounce back against the Nationals. They have an overall series record of 22-26-2 and a run line record of 43-34 on the road. Kansas City is 84-74 overall and 2-8 in their last 10 games, sitting 7.5 games behind the Guardians in the AL Central.
When the O/U line is set at 8.5 runs, the Royals have gone 17-27 this season. Their games have averaged 8.6 runs per game, and they have hit the under in their last three games. Overall, the Royals have a run line record of 86-72, with a +0.6 run differential per game.
Michael Wacha gets the start for the Royals today as he faces the Nationals on the road. He has made 28 starts this season and has a record of 13-8 with a 3.29 ERA. Wacha's WHIP for the season is currently 1.19, and he has turned in 14 quality starts. In his last outing, Wacha took the loss, giving up two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Wacha has been effective at home, with an ERA of 3.47 compared to 3.70 on the road.
Heading into today's game, the Royals are averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 13th in the league. They have been a good home run hitting team this season and are batting a collective .250, which is 7th in the MLB. Bobby Witt Jr. has been a great all-around hitter this season, as he is batting .333 with a league-leading 108 RBIs and 32 homers. Salvador Perez is also a power threat in the lineup, with 27 homers and 103 RBIs.
Witt Jr. has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 8/21 in his last six games. However, Salvador Perez is just 5/24 in his last six games. Tommy Pham is on a three-game hitting streak but is just 4/22 in his last five games.
Nationals Preview
Washington has struggled as the underdog this season, posting a 25-32 record. Overall, they are 54-76 in this role. The Nationals are 69-89 on the season and have lost three straight games, falling 0-2 in their current series vs. the Royals.
On the run line, the Nationals have been a solid bet with an 87-71 record. Their games have gone under the total in five straight, and the O/U line for today's game is 8.5 runs, lower than their average of 8.8 runs per game.
Left-hander Patrick Corbin gets the start for the Nationals today as he faces the Royals at home. Corbin has made 31 starts this season and has a record of 6-13 with a 5.58 ERA. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up five earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Corbin's WHIP for the season is 1.51, and opponents are batting .288 off him this year. So far, he has turned in nine quality starts and is averaging 7.23 strikeouts per nine innings.
So far this season, the Nationals offense is averaging 4 runs per game, which is 25th in the MLB. They have been a little better on the road (4.1 RPG) than at home (4.0 RPG). As a team, they are batting just .241, which is 15th in the league and are 26th in the league in home runs. One thing they have done well is avoid strikeouts, as they have the 5th fewest strikeouts in the league.
CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr. come into the game as the Nationals' top two home run hitters, and they are also tied for the team lead in RBIs. Abrams is batting just .246 this season, and Garcia Jr. is hitting .278. Joey Gallo has two homers in his last seven games but is just 4/19 in that stretch. Currently, Lane Thomas, James Wood, and Darren Baker are all on three-game hitting streaks.
Royals vs. Nationals Prediction: Nationals ML +145
With the Nationals being the underdogs at +145, we see this as a great opportunity to take them on the money line. Our predicted final score is 5-4 in favor of the Nationals, meaning you could also look to take the over, as the line is sitting at 8.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Michael Wacha lasting just three innings, and Patrick Corbin going for eight. Corbin is projected to finish with five strikeouts, while Wacha is expected to finish with six.
