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The Kansas City Royals hit the road to take on the Washington Nationals Tuesday night. Below we will continue our MLB odds series as we hand out a Royals-Nationals prediction and pick. We will also let you know how to watch the game.
Royals-Nationals Projected Starters
Cole Ragans vs. Mitchell Parker
Cole Ragans (11-9) with a 3.24 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 180.1 innings pitched, 217K/64BB, .215 oBA
Last Start: vs. Detroit Tigers: No Decision, 7 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts
2024 Road Splits: 14 starts, 3.07 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 85 innings pitched, 95K/30BB, .201 oBA
Mitchell Parker (7-10) with a 4.44 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 146 innings pitched, 128K/41BB, .259 oBA
Last Start: at New York Mets: Loss, 3.2 innings, 7 hits, 5 runs, 2 walks, 1 strikeout
2024 Home Splits: 14 starts, 2.81 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 83.1 innings pitched, 72K/13BB, .229 oBA
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Royals-Nationals Odds
Kansas City Royals: -1.5 (-105)
Moneyline: -166
Washington Nationals: +1.5 (-114)
Moneyline: +140
Over: 7.5 (-122)
Under: 7.5 (+100)
How to Watch Royals vs. Nationals
Time: 6:45 PM ET/4:45 PM PT
TV: Bally Sports Kansas City, MASN
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why The Royals Will Cover The Spread/Win
Ragans is one of the better pitchers in the MLB, and the Royals need him to have a good start. Kansas City is not playing good baseball right now, so it is up to Ragans to change that. The good news is Ragans has been lights out this month. In three starts in September, Ragans has thrown 19 innings, allowed just 11 hits, struck out 20, and he has an ERA of 1.42. He is giving the Royals a chance to win every time he takes the mound. If he can have another good outing, the Royals will actually win this one.
The Nationals are now without C.J Abrams after he was sent down. With that the Nationals lineup has become weaker. The Nationals already have the lowest barrel percentage, fourth-lowest hard hit percentage, and fourth-lowest average exit velocity in the MLB. Losing Abrams makes all that lower. The Nationals will also chase pitches out of the zone. If Ragans can shut down a struggling, and weak offense, the Royals will win this game.
Why The Nationals Will Cover The Spread/Win
Washington is, of course, eliminated from playoff contention. However, that does not mean they are going to just roll over and let the Royals crush them. Parker has been very good at home this season, so the Nationals could have a good game. In his 14 starts this season at home, Parker has been able to dominate opposing hitters. Along with that, he does a great job attacking the zone at home. If he can have another good home start, the Nationals will be able to win.
The Royals are in a Wild Card spot right now, but they have not been able win too many games lately. Kansas City enters this game on a seven-game losing streak, which is not helping their playoff hopes. In those seven games, the Royals have scored just 13 runs. That is less than two runs per game, which makes it almost impossible to win. Kansas City can not win games if they continue to struggle scoring. With their struggles, it would not be surprising to see the Nationals win this game.
Final Royals-Nationals Prediction & Pick
The Royals are the better team, and Ragans is the better pitcher. However, it is hard to look past how bad the Royals are playing right now. I am still going to take the Royals to win this game straight up, though. I think they will end their losing streak Tuesday night.
Final Royals-Nationals Prediction & Pick: Royals ML (-166)
