Baseball betting stays focused on inter-league play on Saturday as the Royals of Kansas City swing away against the Pirates of Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh hands the ball to starter James McDonald in this one and he'll try to improve on his 5-2 mark on the year. Kansas City counters with Vin Mazzaro, who will try to quiet the fans and the Pirates bats at the same time.



View Kansas City vs Pittsburgh Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The visitors opened as +-165 moneyline underdogs in this one at most online sportsbooks tracked at Odds Shark. The total opened at 7.5 for those preferring over under wagers.

Power Rankings:
According to new MLB Power Rankings here, it's the National League No. 15-ranked Pirates and the American League No. 8-rated Royals in this matchup.



How They Match Up:
The game also pits Pittsburgh's No. 16-rated National League offense, averaging 3.2 runs per game, against a Royals defense that ranks No. 9 in the American League at 4.4 in runs allowed per game. The Pirates have averaged 7.3 hits per game so far, less than Royals batters have averaged on the year (8.9 hits per game).

Defensively, Kansas City features the American League's No. 2-rated defense on the road, allowing 3.6 runs per game. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, comes in at No. 16 in the National League at home, scoring 2.8 runs per game.

In their last action, Kansas City was a 4-2 loser on the road against the Pirates. Bettors on Pittsburgh at -128 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (6) sent UNDER bettors home happy as well. Kansas City suffered a 4-2 loss against Pittsburgh on Friday, as Luke Hochevar wasn't able to lead his team to victory at PNC Park.




Kansas City Royals Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 4-6
Before playing Pittsburgh are 3-7
After playing Pittsburgh are 5-5
After a loss are 6-4

Pittsburgh Pirates Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 2-8
Before playing Kansas City are 6-4
After playing Kansas City are 2-8
After a win are 6-4

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


Next up:
Kansas City at Pittsburgh, Sunday, June 10