Kansas City Royals
Pittsburgh Pirates
(-110/-110)+100
On September 14, 2024, the Pittsburgh Pirates will host the Kansas City Royals at PNC Park in an intriguing Interleague matchup. Both teams are coming off a competitive series, but the Pirates are struggling this season with a record of 70-77, while the Royals sit at a respectable 81-67. The Pirates’ below-average performance is evident as they rank 28th in MLB offense, and they’ll need to find a way to overcome their challenges against a Royals lineup that ranks 12th in the league.
The Pirates are projected to start Mitch Keller, who has been an average pitcher this season, ranking 117th among starting pitchers with a Win/Loss record of 11-9 and a solid ERA of 3.85. However, Keller faces a tough challenge against the Royals’ offense, which has been performing well, particularly with Salvador Perez leading the charge. Keller’s low walk rate and the Royals’ low-walk offense could create an interesting dynamic, as he may not be able to exploit their impatience.
On the other side, Michael Wacha is set to take the mound for the Royals. With a 12-7 record and a great ERA of 3.34, Wacha ranks 69th among MLB starters. His high-flyball tendencies could play into the Pirates’ hands, as they have struggled to generate power this year, ranking 26th in home runs. The projections suggest that both pitchers will allow around 2.8 and 2.6 earned runs, respectively, making this matchup even more compelling.
As the Pirates look to turn their season around, they’ll need a strong performance from Keller and their offense to compete against a Royals team that has shown itself to be above average. With both teams having similar moneylines set at -110, this game promises to be closely contested, and bettors should keep an eye on how the pitching matchup unfolds.
Betting Trends
- Paul DeJong – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (-150/+120)Paul DeJong has hit the Total Bases Over in 10 of his last 13 away games (+5.45 Units / 28% ROI)