The Kansas City Royals (82-74) and the Washington Nationals (69-87) open a 3-game interleague series on Tuesday. First pitch at Nationals Park is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. ET. Let’s check out BetMGM Sportsbook’s MLB odds around the Royals vs Nationals Opportunities and place your best bets with our expert MLB tips and predictions.

Season series: First meeting; Nationals won 2 of 3 in 2023

The Royals are still in contention for a spot in the AL playoffs with 6 games remaining, but Kansas City has lost 7 games in a row. The Royals have scored 2 or fewer runs in 5 consecutive games and have not scored a single run in each of the last 2 games.

In the last 5 games for Kansas City the record is 4-1, while the record is 15-5-1 in the last 21 games since August 30. The overall record in the last 12 home games is a low 9-2-1.

The Nationals lost three of four games against the Chicago Cubs over the weekend, and the Under have swept each of their last three games.

Washington has a record of 5-3 in their last 8 interleague games while Under has won 4 straight games against the AL. Kansas City has lost 4 straight interleague games and Under has a record of 3-1 in that span.

Expected Royals starters at the Nationals

LHP Cole Ragan’s against LHP Mitchell Parker

Ragans (11-9, 3.24 ERA) is making his 32nd start. He has a WHIP of 1.15, 3.2 BB/9 and 10.8 K/9 in 180 1/3 IP.

• Last start: No decision, 7 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 6 K in 3-1 home loss in 10 innings against Detroit Tigers last Tuesday
• 2024 Road Splits: 4-4, 3.07 ERA, 85 IP, 29 ER, 7 HR, 1.08 WHIP, .201 opposing batting average (OBA), 30 BB, 95 K in 14 starts
• Last 7 games: 2-2, 3.15 ERA, 40 IP, 14 ER, 17 BB, 51 K, 1.08 WHIP
• Has never participated in Nationals

Parker (7-10, 4.44 ERA) is making his 29th start. He has a WHIP of 1.30, 2.5 BB/9 and 7.9 K/9 in 146 IP.

• Last start: Loss, 3 2/3 IP, 5 ER, 7 H (1 HR), 2 BB, 1 K in 10-1 road loss to New York Mets on Tuesday
• 2024 Home Splits: 5-4, 2.81 ERA, 83 1/3 IP, 26 ER, 11 HR, 1.03 WHIP, .229 OBA, 13 BB, 72 K in 14 starts
• Last 7 games: 1-4, 6.48 ERA, 33 1/3 IP, 24 ER, 12 BB, 36 K, 1.65 WHIP
• Has never played against Royals

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Royals at the Nationals odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; visit the USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds Hub for a complete list of MLB odds. Odds last updated at 6:14 a.m. ET.

• Money line: Royals -165 (bet $165 to win $100) | Nationals +135 (bet $100 to win $135)
• Running Line (RL)/Against the Spread (ATS): Royals -1.5 (+100) | Nationals +1.5 (-120)
• Over/Under (O/U): 8 (O: -105 | U: -115)

Tips and predictions for the Royals at the Nationals

forecast

Royals 3, Nationals 2

Money line

The ROYAL (-165) are an extremely risky gamble considering they have lost 7 games in a row. But Kansas City still has a good chance of making the postseason and has everything going for them in the final week.

The Nationals (+135) are banking on left-handed hitter Parker, who has been extremely inconsistent lately. Kansas City’s offense can be expected to do its job after a tough week.

Running Line/Against the Spread

The NATIONAL +1.5 (-120) are not a bad move if you are a bit more conservative and want to protect yourself a little.

Washington has gone a respectable 12-11 as an underdog on the run line in its last 23 games since August 23, winning eight of those games outright.

Over/Under

UNDER 8 (-115) is a strong game based on the recent trends.

The Under has won three in a row for the Nats and is 8-3-1 in their last 12 games. The Under is also 4-0-1 in their last 5 home games.

The Royals are under 4-1 in their last 5 games and have only managed 4 total offensive runs. Their overall record is also low at 15-5-1 in their last 21 games.

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