Bryce Miller will get the start for the Mariners (71-56, 34-28 home) as they host the Royals (41-88, 18-48 away) at T-Mobile Park. The Royals will give the starting nod to Brady Singer. Check out my prediction for game one of this American League matchup between the Kansas City Royals and Seattle Mariners.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS VS SEATTLE MARINERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Kansas City Royals +1.5 Runs

This game will be played at T-Mobile Park at 10:10 ET on Friday, August 25th.

WHY BET THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS:

  • In their last ten games as the underdog, the Royals have put together a runline record of 6-4.
  • The Mariners have dropped two straight games vs. the runline at home.
  • Opponents are hitting just .218 against Brady Singer in his last four starts.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS LOOKING FOR UPSET AS ROAD UNDERDOGS

Heading into today’s game, the Royals are 5th in the AL Central on an overall record of 41-88. So far, they have played in 41 series, and are below .500 at 6-32-3. This season, the Royals are 23-40 at home and 18-48 on the road.

Brady Singer has made 25 appearances this season, with an 8-9 record and 5.04 ERA. He has 119 strikeouts, averaging 7.69 per nine innings, and a WHIP of 1.36. His slugging percentage allowed is .441. At home, Singer’s record stands at 5-4 with an ERA of 4.60; on the road it is 3-5 with an ERA of 8.14.

Brady Singer endured a difficult outing in his most recent start, surrendering four earned runs and nine hits over 3 2/3 innings of work. The Royals ultimately fell to the Cubs 6-4 in the contest.

Over their last ten games, the Royals are ranked 17th in the league in scoring at 4 runs per game. Their season-long scoring average of 4 per contest puts them 25th in baseball. In terms of on-base percentage, Kansas City is 18th, with an OBP currently sitting at .300. The team’s collective batting average is .243 (13th).

The Royals’ offensive leader Bobby Witt Jr. has been a force at the plate this season, boasting a .280 batting average and .506 slugging percentage. His on-base percentage (OBP) of .320 is also impressive.

WILL THE SEATTLE MARINERS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

With an overall record of 71-56, the Mariners are 2nd in the AL West. When playing at home, they are 34-28 and 37-28. So far, Seattle has a record of 39-39 against below .500 teams and have played in 40 series, going 21-17-2.

Bryce Miller takes the mound for the Seattle Mariners with an 8-4 record. He has made 18 appearances this season, boasting a 3.78 ERA and 8.2 K/9 rate. His FIP stands at 3.88, and he has held opponents to a .258 OBP.

Bryce Miller notched a victory and a quality start in his last outing, guiding his club to a 2-0 triumph over the Astros. He yielded no runs and two hits in 6 1/3 frames.

Having gone deep 9 times in their last five games, the Mariners are 3rd in that span. At 4.7 runs per game, Seattle is 11th in the league. This figure has come on a team batting average of .242 while hitting a total of 160 home runs (11th).

The Seattle Mariners have been bolstered by the offensive prowess of Julio Rodríguez this season. The 21-year-old outfielder has racked up an impressive .277 batting average, driving in 80 runs and hitting 21 home runs. Rodríguez has been a key contributor to the Mariners’ success in 2023.