At 8:10 PM ET, the Giants and Royals will square off in an interleague matchup. This one is being played at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, and the Royals are the heavy favorites on the money line (-164). The money line odds for a Giants win are sitting at +140.
Friday’s forecast in Kansas City calls for clear skies and temperatures in the mid to upper 90s. Mason Black will start for the Giants, while the Royals are set to go with Michael Wacha. Kansas City is currently 2nd in the AL Central, while the Giants are 4th in the NL West. NBCS will be televising Friday’s Giants vs. Royals matchup.
Giants Seek to Extend Winning Streak Amidst Rollercoaster Season
San Francisco is 74-79 overall and 24-25 in divisional matchups. They are 33-42 on the road and 41-37 at home. The Giants are currently on a two-game winning streak and are 4-6 in their last 10 games. They are 23-22-4 in series matchups this season. The Giants are 46-32 as the favorite and 28-47 as the underdog. Right-hander Mason Black is 0-4 with a 7.07 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP. He has allowed at least one homer in three straight outings.
San Francisco is scoring 4.3 runs per game, which is 17th in MLB. Their .238 batting average is 14th, and they are 18th in homers. Matt Chapman and Heliot Ramos have been the Giants’ top hitters this season. LaMonte Wade Jr. is hitting .310 over his last 9 games, and Mike Yastrzemski has 4 homers in his last 8 games. Michael Conforto is on a 3-game hitting streak. The over/under line for the Giants’ road games is 8.5 runs, and they are 78-69 on the year. The over has hit in their last three games.
Royals Look to Break Losing Streak as Wacha Takes the Mound Against Giants
The Kansas City Royals are 82-71 this season and are 2nd in the AL Central, trailing the Guardians by 6.5 games. They are 45-33 at home and 37-38 on the road. Kansas City is 47-28 as the favorite and 35-43 as the underdog. Their overall series record is 22-25-2, and they have lost four straight games heading into today’s matchup vs. the Giants. The over/under line for the game is set at 8.5 runs, and the Royals have an over/under record of 67-81 this season.
Michael Wacha is starting for the Royals today and is 13-7 this season with a 3.29 ERA. He is averaging 7.96 strikeouts per nine innings and has made 14 quality starts. The Royals are scoring 4.7 runs per game, which is 9th in the league, and are 5th in scoring at home. Bobby Witt Jr. is hitting .331 with 32 homers and 108 RBI, while Salvador Perez is hitting .276 with 27 homers and 103 RBI. Perez is on a 4-game hitting streak. Overall, the Royals are 17th in homers with 167 and are 7th in batting average at .252. Kansas City is 85-68 on the run line this season and have a run differential of +0.6 runs per game.
Giants Favored in Close Call: Bet on San Francisco for a 5-4 Victory Over Royals
Our pick for this Giants vs. Royals matchup is to take the Giants on the money line, where they are currently paying out at +140. We actually have the Giants winning this one 5-4, and with the payout, we feel this is the best way to play this one.
Looking at the starting pitchers, our projections have Michael Wacha finishing with just four strikeouts and Mason Black with five. However, Wacha is projected to give up more hits and runs than Black, and we have him finishing with the highest ERA among today’s starters.
