The Philadelphia Phillies (74-53) travel to face off against the Kansas City Royals (71-56) on Friday, August 23rd. This game will be played at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City and televised on BSKC. The Royals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Phillies are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Braves. First pitch is set for 7:10 CT.

Phillies vs. Royals Betting Prediction

• Money Line Prediction: Royals (-142)
• Over/Under Prediction: Over 9 Runs

• Royals have scored 8 or more runs in 5 of their last 15 games.
• Royals have won 6 of their last 8 home games.
• Royals have a 7-3 record in their last 10 games.
• Royals have scored an average of 6.2 runs per game in their last 15 games.
• Royals have won 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record.

Phillies vs Royals

The Royals Took The Last Game Of This Series

The Phillies will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Braves with a 3-2 loss. This was especially tough, as they held a lead going into the 7th inning before the Braves scored a run in the bottom of the 7th to tie things up. Philadelphia was the -101 favorite on the money line going into the game.

Cristopher Sánchez put together a good start for the Phillies, going six innings and giving up just three runs on nine hits. He only had one strikeout in the outing and took the loss. The Phillies’s offense scored their only two runs in the 1st inning and didn’t have another hit until the 7th.

Philadelphia is 32-30 on the road this season and enters today’s game with a 74-53 overall record, leading the NL East by six games over the Braves. The Phillies have a 63-40 record when favored this season, but have lost two straight as underdogs, bringing their underdog record to 13-11.

When betting the Phillies on the run line, they are 31-31 on the road and 31-34 at home. The under has hit in 70.9% of their games with totals below 9 runs this season. The under/over line for today’s game is set at 9 runs, higher than their season average of 8.9 runs per game.

Taijuan Walker Gets The Start For The Phillies

Taijuan Walker gets the start for the Phillies today as he faces the Royals on the road. So far this season, he has made 12 starts and has a record of 3-4 with an ERA of 5.69. Walker’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.51, and he has issued 3.94 walks per nine innings compared to 7.44 strikeouts. The right-hander has made two quality starts this season and is coming off an outing in which he finished with a no-decision, giving up three earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had lost three straight starts.

Phillies Offense Breakdown

Philadelphia comes into the game as one of the better offensive teams in the league, averaging 4.8 runs per game, which is 8th in the MLB. They have been even better at home, putting up 5.3 runs per contest. Overall, the Phillies are 5th in batting average and have the league’s 9th ranked home run total.

Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper have been a great 1-2 punch in the lineup this season, with Schwarber’s 28 homers leading the team and Harper’s 26 long balls coming in as the 2nd most on the team. Harper is also 3rd on the team with 73 RBIs, while Schwarber is 2nd at 79. Alec Bohm has been the Phillies’ top run producer, as his 85 RBIs is the best mark on the team and 9th best in the league.

The Royals Are Coming Off A Win

To close out their series vs. the Angels, the Royals picked up a 3-0 win. Leading up to the game, they were the heavy favorite at -191. It was a big 2nd inning for the Royals, as they scored two runs, and the Angels could only score a total of three runs. Kansas City’s offense was carried by MJ Melendez, who went 1/4 with a homer.

Michael Lorenzen started for the Athletics, going seven innings and not giving up a run. He also issued just two walks and struck out five Angels batters. The Royals’s bullpen closed things out, and Lucas Erceg picked up the save.

After winning two straight series, the Royals are 71-56 overall and are 2nd in the AL Central, two games behind the Guardians. Their series record for the season is 19-20-2.

Against the run line, Kansas City is 38-24 as the underdog and 34-31 as the favorite. Their average run margin per game is +0.9, and their over/under record for games with a total of 9 runs is 13-12-1.

Michael Wacha Gets The Start For The Royals

Michael Wacha gets the start for the Royals today and will be looking to build off his last outing, where he didn’t give up a run. In that start vs. the Reds, Wacha went six innings, giving up just four hits and one walk. He finished the outing with nine strikeouts. Wacha has been pitching well lately, as he has allowed two earned runs or fewer in three straight outings. For the season, he has a record of 10-6 and an ERA of 3.33. Wacha’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.21.

Royals Offense Breakdown

Over the Royals’ last 10 games, Bobby Witt Jr. has been on fire, going 16/38 with three homers and eight RBIs. This has pushed his season average to .352, and he is currently 12th in the league with 25 home runs. Witt Jr. is also on a 10-game hitting streak. Vinnie Pasquantino leads the team with 95 RBIs and is batting .265 for the season.

As a team, the Royals are 7th in the league in scoring at 4.9 runs per game. They have been even better at home, averaging 5.2 runs per contest. Overall, they are one of the best hitting teams in the league, with a team batting average of .257 (4th).

Phillies vs Royals Prediction

Our predicted final score for this one is 6-5 in favor of the Royals, which would give us a push on the over/under line, as the line is currently sitting at 9 runs. With the Royals predicted to pick up a win, we recommend taking them on the money line, where the payout is -142.

Looking at the starting pitchers, Michael Wacha is predicted to finish with five strikeouts, compared to Taijuan Walker, who is projected to finish with just four. Wacha is also predicted to finish with fewer hits allowed and earned runs, giving him the edge.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* 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.