Kansas City's pitching staff and batting order hope to create an unwelcoming environment in interleague play on Saturday when the Washington Nationals pay a visit to Kauffman Stadium.

The match puts starter Jordan Zimmermann for the Nationals on the hill facing Wade Davis for the Royals. Zimmermann brings a 14-7 mark to the game, while Davis is 6-9 to date on the season.



View Washington vs Kansas City Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Sportsbooks such as Sportsbook had installed the Royals as +112 moneyline underdogs in this particular MLB matchup. The total, meanwhile, was set early at 8 before betting at Sportsbook started to move the line.

Power Rankings:
This game puts the Royals, most recently No. 4 in the American League Odds Shark MLB Power Rankings, up against the Nationals, who rate a National League No. 8 in the latest survey.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Kansas City's No. 13 ranked American League offense (4 runs per game) against a Nationals defense and pitching staff that sits at No. 6 in the National League at 4.1 runs allowed per game. The Royals have been averaging 8.8 hits per game, more than the Nationals have managed so far this season (8.3 hits on average).

Comparing defensive stats, Washington owns the National League's No. 11-rated road mark, allowing 4.4 runs per game on the highway. Kansas City, on the other hand, rates No. 13 in scoring at home.

Last time out for Washington, they were a 11-10 Sportsbook as they battled the Royals on the road. Moneyline bettors who got the Nationals at +100 were rewarded, while the 21 combined runs moved the game OVER for totals bettors. Washington got the job done in their last match in a 11-10 victory over Kansas City on Friday at Kauffman Stadium behind starter Gio Gonzalez.




Washington Nationals Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 5-5
Before playing Kansas City are 7-3
After playing Kansas City are 6-3
After a win are 7-3

Kansas City Royals Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 2-8
Before playing Washington are 1-9
After playing Washington are 3-6
After a loss are 3-7

A few Nationals at Royals trends to consider:
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Kansas City
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas City's last 5 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Kansas City's last 17 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kansas City's last 9 games
Kansas City is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Washington


Next up:
Washington at Kansas City, Sunday, August 25