In this American League matchup, the Red Sox (59-55, 32-27 home) play host to the Royals (37-79, 16-43 away) at Fenway Park. Taking the mound for the Red Sox is James Paxton, while the Royals will go with Alec Marsh. Check out my pick for four of this Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals matchup.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS VS BOSTON RED SOX BETTING PICK

The Pick: Kansas City Royals +1.5 Runs

This game will be played at Fenway Park at 7:10 ET on Thursday, August 10th.

WHY BET THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS:

  • The Royals will be taking on a Red Sox club that is just 3-7 vs. the runline in their past ten games.
  • Over their last three games as the favorite, the Red Sox are just 1-2 against the runline.
  • James Paxton has given up three away runs across his last two starts.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS LOOKING FOR UPSET AS ROAD UNDERDOGS

Currently, the Royals are 5th in the AL Central on an overall record of 37-79. Their season-long runline record is 47-69, which includes going 23-36 vs. the runline on the road. For the season, Kansas City has won less than half of their series away from home (2-14). The Royals’ over/under record this season comes in at 55-59.

The Royals will turn to starter Alec Marsh, who has an 0-5 record this season. In seven appearances, Marsh has posted an ERA of 6.75 and a K/9 of 10.29. His FIP stands at 7.87, while his OBP is .370.

Alec Marsh’s most recent start against the Phillies resulted in a no-decision for the right-hander. Marsh gave up three runs on six hits over four innings, but the Royals ultimately fell 9-6.

In their five most recent games, the Royals have put together a batting average of only .205, placing them 23rd compared to the rest of the league. At 3.9 runs per game, Kansas City is 27th in the MLB. This figure has come on a team batting average of .239 and OPS of .687 which has them 26th in baseball.

Maikel Garcia has been a key contributor to the Kansas City offense this season, boasting a .278 batting average and .379 slugging percentage. In the team’s last ten games, he has been particularly impressive, leading the Royals in hits and batting an impressive .348.

WILL THE BOSTON RED SOX TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

For the season, the Red Sox are 59-55 overall, including going 27-28 on the road and 32-27 at home. When looking at their overall series record, Boston is above .500 at 19-15-3. In the AL East, the Red Sox are currently 4th.

James Paxton has been a reliable starter for the Red Sox this season, boasting a 6-3 record in 14 appearances. His ERA of 3.60 and K/9 of 10.08 are both impressive figures, while his FIP of 4.06 and OBP of .282 demonstrate his effectiveness on the mound.

James Paxton’s performance against the Blue Jays resulted in a loss for the Red Sox, as he gave up four runs on nine hits in five innings.

This season, the Red Sox are 9th in the league at 4.9 runs per game. Over their last five games, they have a combined batting average of .231 (13th) leading to 3.6 runs per contest. Overall, they are generating 3.0 walks per game compared to 8 strikeouts. Boston’s on-base percentage of .327 has them 7th in the MLB.

The Red Sox’s offensive leader, Masataka Yoshida, is batting .304 this season. He has a .477 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .362.