A series opener between the Kansas City Royals (82-71) and San Francisco Giants (74-79) is scheduled for Friday at 8:10 p.m. ET, at Kauffman Stadium.

The Royals are a home favorite (-166) versus the Giants (+140). The Royals will start Michael Wacha (13-7) versus the Giants and Mason Black (0-4).

The Royals lost their last Game against the Tigers by a 4-2 score Wednesday. Yuli Gurriel went 2-for-3 with an RBI to lead them offensively. Alec Marsh picked up the loss after throwing 2 2/3 innings, giving up three earned runs on five hits while striking out five.

The Giants were defeated by the Orioles 5-3 yesterday. Michael Conforto went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in the defeat, while Ryan Walker took the loss on the mound, pitching 2/3 of an inning, giving up two earned runs on two hits while striking out two.

Here’s what you need to prepare for Friday’s Royals vs. Giants contest, including viewing options.

Kansas City Royals vs. San Francisco Giants odds and betting lines

MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Friday at 3:16 a.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.

  • Favorite: Royals (-166, bet $166 to win $100)
  • Underdog: Giants (+140, bet $100 to win $140)
  • Over/under: 8.5

Royals vs. Giants: Live streaming info & game time

  • Game Day: Friday, September 20, 2024
  • Game Time: 8:10 p.m. ET
  • Stadium: Kauffman Stadium
  • TV Channel: Bally Sports
  • Live Stream: Fubo (Watch for free)

Royals stats and trends

Royals betting records

  • This season, the Royals have been favored 71 times and won 46, or 64.8%, of those games.
  • Kansas City is 19-6 this season when entering a game favored by -166 or more on the moneyline.
  • The implied probability of a win from the Royals, based on the moneyline, is 62.4%.
  • So far this season, Kansas City and its opponents have hit the over in 67 of 153 games with a total.
  • The Royals are 83-70-0 against the spread this season.

Michael Wacha (Royals probable starter)

  • Wacha gets the start for the Royals, his 28th of the season. He is 13-7 with a 3.29 ERA and 138 strikeouts in 156 2/3 innings pitched.
  • In his most recent time out on Saturday, the righty went five innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates, allowing one earned run while surrendering four hits.
  • In 27 games this season, the 33-year-old has an ERA of 3.29, with 8 strikeouts per nine innings. Opponents are hitting .245 against him.
  • Wacha has 14 quality starts this year.
  • Wacha will try to build upon a 10-game streak of lasting five or more innings (he’s averaging 5.8 frames per outing).
  • He has had four appearances this season in which he kept his opponents to zero earned runs.
  • He will face off against a Giants offense that ranks 20th in MLB with 1227 total hits (on a .238 batting average). The squad also slugs a collective .392 (20th in MLB) with 163 total home runs (19th in MLB).
  • Among qualifying pitchers in MLB action this season, the 33-year-old ranks 17th in ERA (3.29), 30th in WHIP (1.192), and 39th in K/9 (8).

Royals batting stats

  • The Royals’ 167 home runs rank 18th in Major League Baseball.
  • Hitters for Kansas City rank 10th in the majors with a combined .414 team slugging percentage.
  • The Royals’ .252 batting average is among the best in baseball, ranking seventh in MLB.
  • Kansas City has scored 718 runs this season, which ranks ninth in MLB.
  • The Royals have an on-base percentage of .310 this season, which ranks 14th in the league.
  • Kansas City has shown patience at the plate this season with the second-best rate of strikeouts per game (7.0) among MLB offenses.

Giants stats and trends

Giants betting records

  • The Giants have come away with 28 wins in the 72 contests they have been listed as the underdogs in this season.
  • This year, San Francisco has won six of 17 games when listed as at least +140 or worse on the moneyline.
  • The moneyline set for this matchup implies the Giants have a 41.7% chance of walking away with the win.
  • San Francisco’s games have gone over the total in 77 of its 152 opportunities.
  • The Giants have an against the spread record of 74-77-0 in 151 games with a line this season.

Mason Black (Giants probable starter)

  • Black (0-4) gets the starting nod for the Giants in his seventh start of the season. He’s put together a 7.07 ERA in 28 2/3 innings pitched, with 24 strikeouts.
  • The right-hander’s most recent time out was on Sunday against the San Diego Padres, when he tossed four innings, surrendering two earned runs while allowing six hits.
  • The 24-year-old has an ERA of 7.07, with 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings in seven games this season. Opposing hitters have a .314 batting average against him.
  • So far this season, Black has not registered a quality start.
  • Black enters the matchup with one outing of five or more innings pitched this season.
  • He surrendered one or more earned runs in each of his outings in 2024.
  • He will take the hill against a Royals offense that is hitting .252 as a unit (seventh in the MLB). They are also slugging a collective .414 (10th in the league) with 167 total home runs (18th in MLB play).

Giants batting stats

  • The Giants average 1.1 home runs per game to rank 19th in MLB play with 163 total home runs.
  • This season, San Francisco ranks 20th in the majors with a .392 slugging percentage.
  • The Giants are 20th in the majors with a .238 batting average.
  • Averaging 4.3 runs per game (651 total), San Francisco is the 17th-highest scoring team in MLB.
  • The Giants’ .306 on-base percentage is 21st in the majors.
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