The Marlins are staying alive in the National League wild card hunt, as they prepare to face the Royal at Kauffman Stadium on Thursday night in the final game of this series.
With a record of 71-69, Miami is 2.5 games back of the final NL wild card spot and with a tough schedule for the remainder of the season, picking up a win in this contest would be beneficial.
As for Kansas City, they have been out of playoff contention for most of the season and have a 62-78 record - only the Athletics and Angels have won fewer games.
First pitch between Miami and Kansas City is set for 7:40 p.m. ET on Thursday night.
Marlins vs. Royals betting picks and predictions
Royals ML (+100)
The Marlins have taken the first two games of this series by scores of 6-3 and 9-6. Now looking for the sweep, Miami will send Sandy Alcantara to the mound.
Alcantara was great in the month of August, as he posted a strong 2.08 ERA through five starts and 39.0 innings of work. However, the Marlins went just 2-4 in those six games.
Alcantara is also coming off his worst outing of the month, as he surrendered four runs on eight hits over 6.0 innings against the Nationals.
Alcantara has been a different pitcher on the road than at home this season. When pitching in the comfort of his home ballpark, he owns a 2.58 ERA to go along with a 0.99 WHIP in 13 starts.
However, his ERA jumps up to 4.22 while his WHIP increases to 1.34 in 16 road starts. Furthermore, his BAA goes from .203 to .273. No matter how you slice it, Alcantara simply hasn’t been as effective on the road as he has been at home.
The Royals will hand the ball to Michael Wacha, and the veteran right-hander has allowed just a single run over his last two starts. He has surrendered just seven hits through 15.0 innings in that span, and the Royals have won each of his last three outings.
With the way he is rolling, Kansas City should have plenty of confidence in Wacha.
The Royals have lost three games in a row, but they have still won 12 of their last 16 games. Looking to avoid the sweep at home, the Royals are the team to back in this one.
Over 9 (-115)
The Royals have been swinging the bats well, as their 73 total runs over their last 13 games are good for the fifth-most in baseball in that span.
Kansas City should be able to find some strong offensive success against Alcantara, who does not have imposing numbers on the road.
Wacha has been great over the last month, but it’s tough to trust the Kansas City bullpen, which has been among the worst in baseball this season and is a big reason why they have struggled the way they have.
In total, Kansas City’s bullpen ERA of 5.09 ranks 29th in MLB. The Miami offense has scored 15 runs over the first two games of this series, so they seem to be comfortable at Kauffman Stadium.
Even if Wacha is effective, Miami should be able to plate enough runs to take this one over the listed total of 9.
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Marlins vs. Royals odds
Marlins | -120 |
Royals | +100 |
Run Line | KC Royals +1.5 |
Total | O/U 9 |
Marlins vs. Royals player props
Home runs
Kyle Stowers (MIA Marlins) | +235 |
Heriberto Hernandez (MIA Marlins) | +290 |
Griffin Conine (MIA Marlins) | +350 |
Carter Jensen (KC Royals) | +375 |
Jac Caglianone (KC Royals) | +390 |
Owen Caissie (MIA Marlins) | +390 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
