The visiting Royals hope for a solid performance on Saturday as they look to steal a win at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox.

Jeremy Guthrie gets the ball in front of a hostile crowd for the Royals on this day; he's 5-11 on the season. The Red Sox, meanwhile, will counter with Josh Beckett, who will be looking to improve on his 5-11 mark.



View Kansas City vs Boston Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Sportsbooks had installed the Red Sox as -160 moneyline favorites in this particular MLB matchup. The total, meanwhile, was set early at 9.5 before betting started to move the line.

Power Rankings:
According to new MLB Power Rankings here, it's the American League No. 8-ranked Red Sox and the American League No. 6-rated Royals in this matchup.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Boston's No. 2 ranked American League offense (4.9 runs per game) against a Royals defense and pitching staff that sits at No. 8 in the American League at 4.5 runs allowed per game. The Red Sox have been averaging 9.3 hits per game, more than the Royals have managed so far this season (9.2 hits on average).

Comparing defensive stats, Kansas City owns the American League's No. 6-rated road mark, allowing 4.2 runs per game on the highway. Boston, on the other hand, rates No. 2 in scoring at home.

In their last action, Kansas City was a 4-3 loser on the road against the Red Sox. Bettors on Boston at -185 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (7) sent UNDER bettors home happy as well. Kansas City didn't get the job done in their last match, falling 4-3 to Boston on Friday at Fenway Park.




Kansas City Royals Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 6-4
Before playing Boston are 3-7
After playing Boston are 6-4
After a loss are 7-3

Boston Red Sox Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 4-6
Before playing Kansas City are 5-5
After playing Kansas City are 3-7
After a win are 4-6

A few Royals at Red Sox trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Kansas City's last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas City's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kansas City's last 9 games when playing Boston
Kansas City is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boston's last 9 games when playing Kansas City
Boston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games


Next up:
Kansas City at Boston, Sunday, August 26