There is a chance for light rain in Cincinnati on Sunday, where the Reds and Royals will face off at Great American Ball Park. First pitch is currently scheduled for 1:40 PM ET. MLBN is carrying this one on TV.
The Reds are looking to end a two-game losing streak, but they are slight money line favorites today (-108). On the other side, the Royals have won three straight and are 3rd in the AL Central with a record of 68-55. Cincinnati is 4th in the NL Central and has a record of 60-63. Sunday's over/under line is at 9.5 runs.
Kansas City vs. Cincinnati Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Royals at Reds
- Where: Great American Ball Park Cincinnati
- Date: Sunday, August 18th
- Betting Odds KC -110 | CIN -108 O/U 9.5
Royals vs Reds Last Game Recap
Thanks to a seven-run 3rd inning for the Royals' offense, they cruised to an easy 13-1 win over the Reds in the most recent game of this series. Heading into the game, the Royals were at +107 on the money line.
The starting pitching matchup for this game featured Michael Wacha for the Royals, and he went just six innings but didn't give up a run and picked up a win. Nick Lodolo got the start for the Reds and gave up eight runs in just 2 1/3 innings of work.
Kansas City got a huge performance from Dairon Blanco, as he went 3/5 with two homers and seven RBIs. Both Vinnie Pasquantino and Maikel Garcia each drove in two for the Royals' offense.
Royals Preview
As the favorite, the Royals are 39-23 this season, but as the underdog, they are 29-32. They are 68-55 overall and have won three straight games, including the first two games of this series against the Reds. In the AL Central, the Royals are four games behind the Guardians.
For the run line on the road, the Royals are 33-27 with an average run margin of +0.6 runs per game. The over/under record for Kansas City games this season is 56-64, and the average total line is 8 runs. When the total is 9.5 runs, the Royals' O/U record is 6-6.
Brady Singer will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing as he gets the start for the Royals today. The right-hander faced the Twins on August 12th and took the loss, giving up six earned runs in five innings of work. Looking back over his last four starts, Singer has finished with a decision in each outing, going 2-2 during that span. He has an ERA of 3.32 and a record of 8-8 for the season. Singer's WHIP for the season is 1.22, and he has made 10 quality starts. Per nine innings, Singer is averaging 8.62 strikeouts and 2.59 walks.
Not only do the Royals have one of the top offenses in the league this season, but they have been even better at home, averaging 5.3 runs per game. Overall, they are 8th in the league at 4.9 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .256 (5th) and have the 8th best slugging percentage in the league. Kansas City has been one of the toughest teams to strike out this season, but they don't draw many walks.
Over his last 10 games, Bobby Witt Jr. has been on fire, going 16/39 with five homers and 11 RBIs. For the season, he is batting .351 with 25 homers and 90 RBIs. Salvador Perez is also having a great season, as he is batting .279 with 22 homers and 81 RBIs.
Reds Preview
As the underdog, the Reds have a 40-24 run line record and have covered the run line in four straight games. Cincinnati is 29-35 as the underdog overall this season and has an overall series record of 15-21-3. The Reds are 31-33 at home and 29-30 on the road, with an average run differential of +3.8 in their 66 wins and -3.1 in their 57 losses.
Currently, the Reds are 60-63 overall and are 11 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. They are down 0-2 in the series against the Royals and have lost two consecutive games. This season, Reds games have averaged 8.6 runs, and their over/under record is 56-63. The O/U line for today's game is set at 9.5 runs, and the over has hit 19 times in 29 games with that total.
Left-hander Andrew Abbott gets the start for the Reds today as he faces off against the Royals at home. He has made 24 starts this season and has a record of 10-9 with a 3.59 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Abbott has a WHIP of 1.29 and has issued 3.45 walks per nine innings compared to 7.44 strikeouts. Abbott is coming off a strong outing, as he went 6 2/3 innings against the Cardinals in his last start, giving up just one earned run. Before that, he had lost three straight starts.
Elly De La Cruz has been a solid offensive player for the Reds this season, as he is batting .261 and has gone deep 21 times, which is the best mark on the team and 15th in the league. He is also 3rd on the team in RBIs. Spencer Steer and Jeimer Candelario are also near the top of the Reds' home run leaderboard, but both players are batting below .240 for the season. Steer has 18 homers, while Candelario has 20.
Over his last six games, Spencer Steer has two homers and seven RBIs, while going 4/16. Tyler Stephenson and Jeimer Candelario have also gone deep twice in this stretch, with Stephenson hitting .304 and Candelario batting just .158. Jonathan India has also hit two homers in his last five games, going 5/18 in this stretch.
Royals vs. Reds Prediction: Reds ML -108
Our prediction for today's Royals vs. Reds game is to take the Reds on the money line at -108. We have the Reds winning this one by a score of 5-4. With the over/under sitting at 9.5 runs, there isn't a lot of wiggle room, but we would lean towards the under if you're looking to place a bet on the line.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Andrew Abbott finishing with five strikeouts compared to Brady Singer with five as well. However, Singer is projected to have a higher ERA, and we have him finishing with the most earned runs among all starters today.
