Odds, picks and predictions for the Kansas City Royals and the Washington Nationals

The Kansas City Royals (84-74) and Washington Nationals (69-89) complete a 3-game series on Thursday. First pitch from Nationals Park is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s 24/7 MLB odds Royals vs Nationals odds and meet our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.

Season series: Royals 2-0

After seven straight losses, the Royals are one win away from defeating the Nationals. Kansas City’s pitching kept Washington scoreless in its first two games, winning 1-0 in 10 innings on Tuesday as a -196 favorite and 3-0 on Wednesday as a -126 favorite.

The Royals’ magic number is 3. They are tied with the Detroit Tigers (84-74) for the final two wild card spots and lead the Minnesota Twins (82-76) by two games and the Seattle Mariners (82-77). ) with a two-game lead at 2½ games.

Washington was unable to get the bats going against the Kansas City Royals, scoring just seven total hits in those two games, including just two in Wednesday’s loss. The Nationals have lost 8 of their last 9 games. They have long been out of playoff contention.

Royals at Nationals projected starters

RHP Michael Wacha vs LHP Patrick Corbin

Wacha (13-8, 3.28 ERA) is making his 29th start. He has a WHIP of 1.19, 2.4 BB/9 and 8.0 K/9 in 161 2/3 innings.

• Last start: Loss, 5 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 5 K in Friday’s 2-1 home loss to the San Francisco Giants
• 2024 road split: 6-5, 3.68 ERA (80 2/3 IP, 33 ER), 1.23 WHIP, 8.4 K/9 in 14 starts
• Career vs. Nationals: 4-2, 2.74 ERA (42 2/3 IP, 13 ER), 0.97 WHIP, 9.9 K/9 in 7 games (6 starts)

Corbin (6-13, 5.58 ERA) is making his 32nd start. He has a WHIP of 1.51, 2.8 BB/9 and 7.2 K/9 in 169 1/3 innings.

• Last start: No decision, 4 1/3 IP, 5 ER, 8 H, 1 BB, 4 K in a 7-6 loss at the Chicago Cubs on September 19th
• 2024 home division: 4-5, 4.41 ERA (85 2/3 IP, 42 ER), 1.26 WHIP, 7.7 K/9 in 15 starts
• Career vs. Royals: 1-0, 3.38 ERA (16 IP, 6 ER), 1.25 WHIP, 10.7 K/9 in 2 starts and 1 relief appearance
• Last start vs. Royals: Win, 6 1/3 IP, 6 ER, 7 H, 4 BB, 6 K in 12-10 road win on May 26, 2023

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Royals to Nationals odds

Powered by BetMGM Sportsbook; Visit the USA TODAY sports scores and sports betting hub for a complete list of MLB odds. Lines were last updated at 1:11 a.m. ET.

• Moneyline (ML): Royals -175 (bet $175 to win $100) | Nationals +145 (bet $100 to win $145)
• Run Line (RL/Against the Spread (ATS): Royals -1.5 (-105) | Nationals +1.5 (-115)
• Over/Under (O/U): 8.5 (O: +100 | U: -120)

Royals and Nationals tips and predictions

forecast

Royals 5, Nationals 2

Money line

HAPPEN.

The Royals (-175) can’t afford to lose this game, which is why I’m predicting a Kansas City win, but I’ll put my bet on the run line.

Running Line/Against the Spread

BET ROYALS -1.5 (-105).

Kansas City really needs this win. Washington starting pitcher Corbin has been a bit of a gamble in the past – and is definitely not the pitcher you want to bet on. Although he has improved somewhat recently, going 4-1 in his last six appearances, he still has a reputation for struggling at times.

On the other hand, the Royals are in a good situation at the moment. Wacha was solid, posting a 1.99 ERA (22 2/3 IP, 5 ER) in his last four starts, but went just 2-2.

With Tuesday’s win, Kansas City reached .500 (21-21) in interleague play; Washington fell to 21-24. The Royals have a 39-38 road record while the Nationals have a 36-41 record at home.

Taking all these factors into account SUPPORT THE ROYALS -1.5 (-105) seems like a smart move.

Over/Under

BET UNDER 8.5 (-120).

The Under came easy in the first two games of this series and is 6-1 in their last seven head-to-head meetings since 2019.

The Royals are also trending strongly towards the under and have scored in 8 of their last 10 games. According to Teamrankings.com, they have the fourth-best under record in the majors this season at 85-68-5.

The Nationals are also an under team, scoring less than the total in each of their last five games. They are 8th in the Unders with a score of 78-72-8.

With both teams struggling to score recently, BETS UNDER 8.5 (-120) is the right way.

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