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The Kansas City Royals (83-74) and Washington Nationals (69-88) meet in the middle game of a 3-game series Wednesday. First pitch from Nationals Park is set for 6:45 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s MLB odds around the Royals vs. Nationals odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Kansas City leads 1-0
Kansas City snapped a 7-game losing streak in winning 1-0 in 10 innings Tuesday while covering as a -196 road favorite. CF Kyle Isbel broke the Royals’ streak of 27 straight scoreless innings by scoring on an error. The Royals are tied with the Detroit Tigers for 2nd AL Wild Card spot.
Washington has lost back-to-back games and has gone scoreless in both losses. The Nationals have lost 7 of their last 8 games scoring 14 total runs in that span.
Royals at Nationals projected starters
RHP Michael Lorenzen vs. LHP DJ Herz
Lorenzen (7-6, 3.43 ERA) makes his 24th start. He has a 1.25 WHIP, 3.7 BB/9 and 7.4 K/9 in 126 IP.
- Last start: No-decision, 1 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K in a 6-1 win over Cleveland Guardians on Aug. 27
- Has been out with a hamstring injury since his last start
- Career vs. Washington: 1-2, 5.35 ERA (35 1/3 IP, 21 ER), 25 H, 17 BB, 24 K in 15 appearances (4 starts)
Herz (4-8, 4.30 ERA) makes his 19th start. He has a 1.27 WHIP, 3.6 BB/9 and 11.1 K/9 in 83 2/3 IP.
- Last start: Loss, 3 1/3 IP, 7 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 5 K in a 10-0 embarrassment vs. the New York Mets Wednesday
- First career start vs. Kansas City
Who’s going yard? Here’s a breakdown of today’s best home run props with our top picks. Include the BetMGM bonus code SBWIRE to score a $1,500 first-bet offer.
Royals at Nationals odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of MLB odds. Lines last updated at 12:28 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Royals -115 (bet $115 to win $100) | Nationals -105 (bet $105 to win $100)
- Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Royals -1.5 (+150) | Nationals +1.5 (-185)
- Over/Under (O/U): 7.5 (O: -120 | U: +100)
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Royals at Nationals picks and predictions
Prediction
Royals 3, Nationals 2
Moneyline
LEAN ROYALS (-115).
Kansas City is fighting for a playoff spot, so the extra motivation should give the Royals an extra boost and I expect them to get back to their winning ways. But be aware Kansas City is only 3-7 in its last 10 overall and 4-6 in its last 10 games vs. Washington.
Run line/Against the spread
PASS.
I expect the Nationals to cover here as +1.5 (-185) underdogs considering how well they have played KC lately. However, this line is set far too heavily to risk betting on, so bet on the moneymen and/or total instead.
Over/Under
BET UNDER 7.5 (+100).
The Under has hit in each of Washington’s last 4 games and in each of its last 4 games at home while also going 7-3 in its last 10 overall. For Kansas City, the Under is 3-1 in its last 4 on the road and 7-3 in its last 10 overall.
The Under has also hit in each of the last 3 KC-Washington meetings, also hitting in each of the last 3 in the Nation’s Capital.
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