Royals vs. Pirates Prediction, Odds, Picks - August 28

Updated Aug. 28, 2023 8:02 p.m. ET

Data Skrive

Zack Greinke gets the nod for the Kansas City Royals on Monday against Andrew McCutchen and the Pittsburgh Pirates. First pitch is at 8:10 PM ET for this first game in a three-game series. The Pirates have been listed as -102 moneyline underdogs in this matchup with the Royals (-118). Pittsburgh is favored on the run line (-1.5 with +157 odds). A 9-run over/under is set for the matchup.

The Kansas City Royals will give the start to Greinke (1-12, 5.02 ERA), who is looking for win No. 2 on the season, and the Pirates will counter with Johan Oviedo (7-13, 4.46 ERA).

Check out everything you need from a betting perspective on the Royals-Pirates game, from the point spread, moneyline, Over/Under and expert picks (odds via FOX Bet):

Royals vs. Pirates Game Information & Odds

When: Monday, August 28, 2023 at 8:10 PM ET
Where: Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri
How to Watch on TV: BSKC

Favorite	Favorite Moneyline	Underdog Moneyline	Total	Over Total Odds	Under Total Odds	Run Line	Favorite Run Line Odds	Underdog Run Line Odds
Royals	-118	-102	9	-114	-105	-1.5	-189	+157

Royals vs. Pirates Prediction

Score Prediction: Royals 6, Pirates 5
Total Prediction: Over 9 runs
Win Probabilities: Royals 51%, Pirates 49%

Royals vs. Pirates Betting Insights

The Royals have won five, or 31.2%, of the 16 games they've played as favorites this season.
Kansas City is 3-5 this season when entering a game favored by -118 or more on the moneyline.
The implied probability of a win from the Royals, based on the moneyline, is 54.1%.
The Pirates have been underdogs in 105 games this season and have come away with the win 43 times (41%) in those contests.
Pittsburgh has a mark of 40-58 in contests where bookmakers favor it by -102 or worse on the moneyline.
The moneyline set for this matchup implies the Pirates have a 50.5% chance of coming away with a victory in the contest.

Royals Recent Betting Performance

In the last 10 games, the Royals were listed as the moneyline favorite by bookmakers just two times, and they split those games.
Over their last 10 matchups (all had set totals), the Royals combined with their opponents to go over the total six times.
The Royals have a 4-6-0 record against the spread over their past 10 games.

Royals Recent Stats

Stat	Avg/Total
Record	2-8
Runs Per Game	3.6
HR	8
ERA	5.42
K/9	10.8

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Royals Player Insights

Bobby Witt Jr. is the bat to watch in the Royals lineup, leading the team in batting average (.278), home runs (26), and RBI (81).
Witt Jr.'s home runs place him 18th in the majors, and he is 19th in RBI.
Salvador Perez is hitting .248 with 19 doubles, 19 home runs and 18 walks.
Perez is 65th in home runs in MLB, and 90th in RBI.
Maikel Garcia is batting .279 with 17 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 27 walks.
Garcia is on a two-game hitting streak entering this contest. During his last five outings he is hitting .158 with a double, two walks and two RBI.
MJ Melendez has 27 doubles, four triples, 12 home runs and 43 walks while batting .232.

Royals Team Props

	Hits O/U	Total Bases O/U	HR O/U	RBI O/U
Salvador Pérez	0.5 (-278)	1.5 (+115)	0.5 (+475)	0.5 (+140)
Maikel Garcia	1.5 (+155)	1.5 (+105)	0.5 (+950)	0.5 (+220)
Bobby Witt Jr.	1.5 (+170)	1.5 (+100)	0.5 (+500)	0.5 (+175)
MJ Melendez	0.5 (-213)	1.5 (+125)	0.5 (+390)	0.5 (+175)
Matt Duffy	0.5 (-208)	0.5 (-208)	-	0.5 (+260)

Learn more about this Royals vs. Pirates matchup on Fox Sports.

Pirates Recent Betting Performance

In nine games over the last 10 matchups when set as underdogs by sportsbooks, the Pirates had a record of 3-6.
In their last 10 games with a total, the Pirates and their opponents have failed to hit the over four times.
The Pirates have a record of 5-5-0 ATS over their last 10 games.

Pirates Recent Stats

Stat	Avg/Total
Record	4-6
Runs Per Game	4.2
HR	6
ERA	4.55
K/9	9.6

Pirates Player Insights

Bryan Reynolds paces the Pirates with 64 runs batted in while accumulating a team-high batting average of .263.
Reynolds is 75th in home runs and 64th in RBI among all hitters in MLB.
McCutchen is hitting .252 with 17 doubles, 12 home runs and 70 walks.
McCutchen ranks 147th overall in home runs and 187th in RBI this year.
Ke'Bryan Hayes is batting .261 with 21 doubles, six triples, 10 home runs and 22 walks.
Jack Suwinski has swatted a team-leading 21 long balls.

Pirates Team Props

	Hits O/U	Total Bases O/U	HR O/U	RBI O/U
Connor Joe	0.5 (-233)	1.5 (+140)	0.5 (+800)	0.5 (+170)
Ji-Hwan Bae	1.5 (+175)	1.5 (+115)	0.5 (+1100)	0.5 (+240)
Andrew McCutchen	0.5 (-238)	1.5 (+125)	0.5 (+500)	0.5 (+150)
Ke'Bryan Hayes	1.5 (+155)	1.5 (-105)	0.5 (+650)	0.5 (+155)
Joshua Palacios	-	1.5 (+125)	0.5 (+800)	0.5 (+160)