Zack Greinke will get the start for the Royals (32-75, 18-36 home) as they host the Mets (50-55, 24-32 away) at Kauffman Stadium. The Mets will give the starting nod to José Quintana. Check out my prediction for game one of this interleague matchup between the New York Mets and Kansas City Royals.

NEW YORK METS VS KANSAS CITY ROYALS BETTING PICK

The Pick: New York Mets -155

This game will be played at Kauffman Stadium at 8:10 ET on Tuesday, August 1st.

WHY BET THE NEW YORK METS:

  • Coming into the game, the Royals have gone just 1-4 in their last five home games.
  • The Mets have put together a 4-1 record in their last five games as the favorite.
  • Zack Greinke has given up five away runs across his last three starts.

CAN THE NEW YORK METS PULL OUT A WIN AS ROAD FAVORITES?

Currently, the Mets are 4th in the NL East on an overall record of 50-55. Their season-long runline record is 40-65, which includes going 21-35 vs. the runline on the road. For the season, New York has won less than half of their series away from home (4-11). The Mets’ over/under record this season comes in at 42-57.

José Quintana takes the mound for the New York Mets with an 0-2 record. Through two outings, he has posted a 3.27 ERA, 6.55 K/9, 2.64 FIP, and .326 OBP.

Even though José Quintana earned a quality start in his most recent outing, the Mets still fell to the Yankees 3-1. The left-hander allowed six hits and two earned runs over six innings of work.

For the season, the Mets’ offense is averaging 4.4 runs per game. Over their last five games they have swung the bats well, sitting 10th in the league in scoring, with a total of 19 runs. Overall, New York’s team batting average is .238, putting them 16th in the MLB.

Pete Alonso has been a major contributor to the Mets’ offense this season, leading the team with 30 home runs over their last five games. His batting average stands at .218, and he has hit two homers in that span.

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

The Royals’ overall record of 32-75 puts them 5th in the AL Central. Their straight-up record at home stands at 18-36 compared to a runline mark of 21-33 when playing at Kauffman Stadium. It is worth noting that the Royals have a series record of just 3-14 at home. Kansas City’s over/under record comes in at 49-56.

Kansas City’s Zack Greinke has had a tough season thus far, with an overall record of 1-11 and an ERA of 5.49. On the road, his ERA is 7.78, while it drops to 3.75 when he pitches at home. Greinke’s WHIP for the season stands at 1.28, and he has allowed a batting average of .283 against him. Opposing teams have managed a slugging percentage of .475 against the starter.

Zack Greinke’s last start was not his best, as he allowed four earned runs and four hits in five innings of work. The Royals ultimately fell 5-1 to the Guardians in the contest.

The Royals have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 6 home runs over their last five games. Compared to other clubs, this is 5th best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 22nd in home runs and 26th in slugging percentage. Overall, Kansas City is averaging 3.8 runs per game (25th).

Bobby Witt Jr. has been a major contributor to the Royals’ offense this season, leading the team with 18 home runs over their last five games. His batting average stands at .263, and he has hit two long balls in that span.