Going into game two of this American League showdown, the Royals (42-94, 24-43 home) are giving the start to Alec Marsh. On the other side, the Red Sox (69-66, 33-33 away) are rolling with Tanner Houck. Don’t miss my prediction for today’s Boston Red Sox versus Kansas City Royals game in Kansas City.

BOSTON RED SOX VS KANSAS CITY ROYALS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Kansas City Royals +187

This game will be played at Kauffman Stadium at 7:10 ET on Saturday, September 2nd.

WHY BET THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS:

  • The Red Sox are just 2-3 in their last five road games.
  • Kansas City is taking on the Red Sox at the right time, as the Red Sox have dropped five straight games.
  • In Tanner Houck’s 15 starts, the Red Sox have a record of just 6-9.

CAN THE BOSTON RED SOX PULL OUT A WIN AS ROAD FAVORITES?

On an overall record of 69-66, the Red Sox are 4th in the AL East. In their 44 series, Boston has gone 22-18-4 which includes losing each of their last three sets. On the road, the Red Sox are 33-33 and are 36-33 at home.

Today, Red Sox hurler Tanner Houck will aim to limit the long ball as he has surrendered a homer in each of his last two outings. His current record stands at 3-8 with an ERA of 4.93. He has punched out 70 batters, resulting in a K/9 rate of 8.22, while also averaging 3.29 walks per 9 innings pitched.

Tanner Houck was on the losing end of a 7-4 decision against the Dodgers, surrendering one run on five hits in four innings. The Red Sox were unable to overcome the deficit, despite a valiant effort from their starting pitcher.

Having gone deep 16 times in their last ten games, the Red Sox are 6th in that span. At 4.9 runs per game, Boston is 7th in the league. This figure has come on a team batting average of .264 while hitting a total of 160 home runs (12th).

Rafael Devers has been a major offensive contributor for the Red Sox this season. The third baseman is batting .267 with 89 RBIs and 29 home runs in 2023.

WILL THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

The Royals’ record of 42-94 has them ranked 5th in the AL Central. So far, they have a below .500 series record of 6-34-3. This season, they have gone 24-43 at home and 18-51 on the road.

Today marks Alec Marsh’s twelfth outing of the 2023 season, and his record stands at 0-7. His ERA is 5.47 with an OBP allowed of .356, and he has struck out 59 batters with a WHIP of 1.56. On the road, Marsh’s ERA is 6.49 compared to 4.01 when pitching at home.

After a 3-0 defeat to the Mariners, Alec Marsh had a solid outing, surrendering three runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings.

With a season-long average of 4 runs per game, the Royals are the 27th ranked scoring offense this season. As a team, they are batting .241, with an OBP of .298. In Kansas City’s last ten games, they are 11th in home runs, having gone deep 10 times in that span.

Over the Royals’ last ten games, Bobby Witt Jr. has been a force to be reckoned with at the plate, leading the team in home runs with three and boasting a season-long total of 28. His overall batting average stands at an impressive .279.