The Kansas City Royals (81-67) will visit the Pittsburgh Pirates (70-77), in the second game of a three-game series, Saturday at 1:05 p.m. ET.

The Pirates (-112 moneyline odds to win) take the field against the Royals (-108) in an expected tight matchup. The scheduled starters are Mitch Keller (11-9) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Michael Wacha (12-7) for the Kansas City Royals.

Alec Marsh (5.1 IP, 1 R, 5 H, 11 K) picked up a win in the Royals’ 8-3 victory over the Pirates yesterday. Kyle Isbel led the way offensively, going 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and two RBI. Luis Ortiz (4.0 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 5 K) was handed the loss for the Pirates.

Before this Pirates vs. Royals showdown, here is everything you need to prepare for Saturday’s MLB action, including viewing options.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Kansas City Royals odds and betting lines

MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Saturday at 9:16 a.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.

  • Favorite: Pirates (-112, bet $112 to win $100)
  • Underdog: Royals (-108, bet $108 to win $100)
  • Over/under: 8

Pirates vs. Royals: Live streaming info & game time

  • Game Day: Saturday, September 14, 2024
  • Game Time: 1:05 p.m. ET
  • Stadium: PNC Park
  • TV Channel: Bally Sports
  • Live Stream: Fubo (Watch for free)

Pirates stats and trends

Pirates betting records

  • This season, the Pirates have been favored 58 times and won 33, or 56.9%, of those games.
  • Pittsburgh has a record of 33-24 in games when oddsmakers favor them by at least -112 on the moneyline.
  • Bookmakers have implied with the moneyline set for this matchup that the Pirates have a 52.8% chance to win.
  • Games involving Pittsburgh have gone over the total set by oddsmakers in 72 of 147 chances this season.
  • The Pirates have an ATS record of 80-66-0 in 146 games with a spread this season.

Mitch Keller (Pirates probable starter)

  • Keller gets the start for the Pirates, his 29th of the season. He is 11-9 with a 3.85 ERA and 153 strikeouts in 163 2/3 innings pitched.
  • The right-hander last appeared on Saturday against the Washington Nationals, when he threw six innings, allowing two earned runs while giving up seven hits.
  • In 28 games this season, the 28-year-old has an ERA of 3.85, with 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings. Opponents are hitting .258 against him.
  • Keller has recorded 14 quality starts this season.
  • Keller is aiming for his third straight appearance lasting five or more innings. He averages 5.8 frames per appearance on the hill.
  • He has had five appearances this season in which he held his opponents to zero earned runs.
  • He will take the mound against a Royals offense that ranks eighth in MLB with 1257 total hits (on a .253 batting average). The squad also slugs a collective .415 (11th in MLB) with 165 total home runs (15th in MLB).
  • Among qualifying pitchers in MLB play this season, the 28-year-old’s 3.85 ERA ranks 35th, 1.265 WHIP ranks 45th, and 8.4 K/9 ranks 30th.

Pirates batting stats

  • The Pirates have hit just 144 homers this season, which ranks 26th in the league.
  • The offense for Pittsburgh has a slugging percentage of .372 this season, 25th in MLB.
  • The Pirates have a team batting average of .236 this season, which ranks 23rd among MLB teams.
  • Pittsburgh ranks 20th in the majors with 622 total runs scored this season.
  • The Pirates are among the worst in the league at getting on base, ranking 26th with an OBP of .302.
  • Pittsburgh ranks 24th in MLB in strikeouts per game with an average of 9.2 whiffs per contest.

Royals stats and trends

Royals betting records

  • The Royals have been underdogs in 76 games this season and have come away with the win 34 times (44.7%) in those contests.
  • This year, Kansas City has won 33 of 72 games when listed as at least -108 or worse on the moneyline.
  • The moneyline set for this matchup implies the Royals have a 51.9% chance of coming away with a victory in the contest.
  • Contests with Kansas City has gone over the total set by oddsmakers in 66 of 148 chances this season.
  • In 148 games with a line this season, the Royals have a mark of 82-66-0 against the spread.

Michael Wacha (Royals probable starter)

  • Wacha (12-7) gets the starting nod for the Royals in his 27th start of the season. He’s put together a 3.34 ERA in 151 2/3 innings pitched, with 130 strikeouts.
  • In his most recent appearance on Sunday against the Minnesota Twins, the right-hander threw seven scoreless innings while surrendering four hits.
  • The 33-year-old has put up a 3.34 ERA and 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings across 26 games this season, while allowing a batting average of .246 to opposing batters.
  • Wacha is trying to record his 15th quality start of the season in this matchup.
  • Wacha will look to prolong a nine-game streak of going five or more innings (he’s averaging 5.8 innings per appearance).
  • He has had four appearances this season that he held his opponents to zero earned runs.
  • He will face off against a Pirates team that is hitting .236 as a unit (23rd in the MLB). They are also slugging a collective .372 (25th in the league) with 144 total home runs (26th in MLB action).
  • Among qualifying pitchers in MLB action this season, the 33-year-old’s 3.34 ERA ranks 16th, 1.185 WHIP ranks 28th, and 7.7 K/9 ranks 41st.

Royals batting stats

  • The Royals average 1.1 home runs per game to rank 15th in MLB action with 165 total home runs.
  • So far this season, Kansas City is 11th in baseball, slugging .415.
  • The Royals have the seventh-best batting average in the majors (.253).
  • The offense for Kansas City is No. 8 in baseball, scoring 4.7 runs per game (701 total runs).
  • The Royals’ .309 on-base percentage ranks 16th in baseball.
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