The Kansas City Royals (68-55) travel to face off against the Cincinnati Reds (60-63) on Sunday, August 18th. This game will be played at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati and televised on MLBN. The Royals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Reds are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Royals. First pitch is set for 12:40 CT.
Royals vs. Reds Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Reds (-108)
- Over/Under Prediction: Under 9.5 Runs
- The Reds have scored 9 or more runs in 4 of their last 15 games.
- The Reds have won 6 of their last 8 home games.
- The Reds have a higher overall league rank (11th) compared to the Royals (15th).
- The Reds have a better home record (31-33) than the Royals’ away record (30-30).
- The Reds have won 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a losing record.
Royals vs Reds
Thanks to a seven-run 3rd inning for the Royals’ offense, they cruised to a 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.
After winning the first two games of this series, the Royals have a 68-55 overall record and are four games behind the Guardians in the AL Central. They have covered the run line in three straight road games and are 33-27 against the run line on the road this season.
This season, the over/under record for Royals games is 56-64, and the average runs per game is 8.9. When the O/U line is 9.5, the Royals have a 6-6 record. The total line for today’s game is 9.5 runs, and the average O/U line for their games is 8 runs.
Brady Singer Gets The Start For The Royals
Through 24 starts, Brady Singer has a record of 8-8 and an ERA of 3.32. Coming into the game, he has a WHIP of 1.22 and has issued just 2.59 walks per nine innings. Singer’s last outing was a rough one, as he took the loss and gave up six earned runs in five innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Against the Reds today, Singer will look to get back on track and pitch more like he did on July 31st, when he pitched seven innings and gave up just three earned runs.
Royals Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Royals are averaging 4.9 runs per game, which is good for 8th in the league. At home, they have been even better, averaging 5.3 runs per contest. Overall, they are the 5th best hitting team in the league, with a team batting average of .256. Kansas City is also one of the best teams in the league at avoiding strikeouts, as they have the 2nd fewest strikeouts in the league.
Over his last 10 games, Bobby Witt Jr. has been on fire, going 16/39 with five homers and 11 RBIs. Witt Jr. is also having a great season overall, batting .351 with 25 homers and 90 RBIs. Salvador Perez is also having a strong season, with 22 homers and 81 RBIs to go along with a batting average of .279.
As the underdog, the Reds have a 40-24 record against the run line. They have covered the run line in four straight games and have a 37-22 record on the road. Cincinnati’s overall series record is 15-21-3, and their average run differential in wins is +3.8.
Cincinnati is 60-63 overall and trails the Brewers by 11 games in the NL Central. They are down 0-2 in the current series vs. the Royals and have an over/under record of 56-63 for the season. The O/U line for today’s game is 9.5 runs, and the average run total in Reds games this year is 8.6 runs.
Andrew Abbott Gets The Start For The Reds
Cincinnati is sending Andrew Abbott to the mound today vs. the Royals, and he will be looking to build off his last outing, where he picked up the win. In that start vs. the Cardinals, Abbott went 6 2/3 innings, giving up just one earned run. Looking at his overall numbers, Abbott has made 24 starts, and opponents are batting .229 off him this season. Abbott’s ERA is 3.59, and his record for the season is 10-9. So far, he has turned in nine quality starts and is averaging 7.44 strikeouts per nine innings. For the year, he has allowed 24 homers and is giving up 3.45 walks per nine innings.
Reds Offense Breakdown
Elly De La Cruz has been a consistent run producer for the Reds this season, as he is batting .261 with 21 homers and 52 RBIs. Spencer Steer and Jeimer Candelario are also near the top of the team’s home run leaderboard, but both have batting averages below .235. Over his last six games, Steer has gone 4/16 with two homers and seven RBIs.
As a team, the Reds are averaging 4.4 runs per game, which is 14th in the league. They have been a better offensive team on the road, averaging 4.5 runs per contest. Overall, they are 10th in home runs but have a team batting average of just .230, which is 21st in the MLB.
Royals vs Reds Prediction
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 line sitting at 9.5 runs, there isn’t a lot of room for error, and we recommend sticking with the Reds on the money line.
Looking at the starting pitcher’s projections, Brady Singer is not a great option today, as he is projected to give up the most earned runs among today’s starters. As for Andrew Abbott, we have him finishing with five strikeouts, and the Reds’ lineup is projected to finish with nine team strikeouts.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:August 18, 2024 Reds, Royals