The Miami Marlins have put themselves in position for a sweep as they wrap up a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals tonight at Kauffman Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 7:40 p.m. ET.
Miami has taken each of the first two games in Kansas City, opening the series with a 6-3 victory Tuesday before rallying from an early deficit to win 9-6 on Wednesday. The Marlins have improved to 71-69 and enter Thursday just 2.5 games out of the National League’s final Wild Card spot.
The consecutive losses have extended Kansas City’s skid to three games and dropped the Royals to 62-78. Miami, meanwhile, has an opportunity to exit Kansas City with three straight wins at a point in the season when every game matters in the Wild Card race.
The Marlins will hand the ball to their ace in Sandy Alcantara, who enters at 13-8 with a 3.46 ERA. The former Cy Young winner has logged 189.2 innings this season and has also enjoyed success in his limited history against Kansas City.
Michael Wacha will start for Kansas City. The veteran righthander is 8-8 with a 3.32 ERA and 1.10 WHIP and has been one of the steadier pieces of the Royals’ rotation this season.
Marlins vs. Royals Odds Today
Tonight’s series finale is essentially a pick ’em, with Kansas City getting the slight edge at home:
Best Bet for Marlins vs. Royals
Looking for more info before betting on Marlins-Royals? Visit Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook’s Stats Hub for matchup trends, player history and other useful insights for every game across the MLB slate. Alcantara’s track record against Kansas City helps support our featured play for Thursday night:
Marlins Moneyline (-105): Miami has already won the first two games of this series, and we’ll back the Marlins to finish off the sweep with Alcantara on the mound.
The right-hander has made only two career starts against Kansas City, but both have added up to some impressive numbers. Alcantara owns a 1-0 record with a 2.40 ERA and 10 strikeouts over 15 innings against the Royals, highlighted by a complete-game shutout in 2019 in which he allowed only four hits.
Miami also has considerably more at stake as the regular season moves into September. The Marlins enter Thursday just 2.5 games outside the final NL Wild Card spot and have already gained ground by taking consecutive games at Kauffman Stadium. Kansas City, meanwhile, has lost three straight and now sits at 62-78 overall.
Wacha has pitched well this season, so completing the sweep should not come easily. Still, Alcantara’s strong career numbers against Kansas City, Miami’s play through the first two games and the Marlins’ position in the Wild Card race give us enough reason to back the visitors. Miami ML (-105) is our best bet for tonight’s finale.
- Best Bet: Marlins Moneyline (-105)
Marlins vs. Royals Betting Splits
Miami is drawing more moneyline tickets, while Kansas City holds a narrow edge in money wagered:
- The Marlins have received 63.7% of all moneyline tickets and 48.1% of the handle, compared to 51.9% of the money on Kansas City.
- Marlins -1.5 is attracting 63.3% of all run line bets and 64.3% of the handle.
- Over 9.5 has drawn 58.6% of all total tickets, while the Under accounts for 52.3% of the dollars.
Top 5 Most-Bet Player Props
Alcantara’s strikeout prop leads tonight’s most-bet player props:
- Sandy Alcantara – Over 3.5 Strikeouts
- Heriberto Hernandez – Over 0.5 Home Runs
- Javier Sanoja – Over 0.5 Hits
- Bobby Witt Jr. – Over 0.5 Hits
- Jac Caglianone – Over 0.5 Hits
Marlins vs. Royals Game Info
- đź“Ť Where: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- đź“… Date: Thursday, September 3
- ⏰ First Pitch: 7:40 PM ET
- âšľ Probable Pitchers:
- Marlins: Sandy Alcantara (13-8, 3.46 ERA)
- Royals: Michael Wacha (8-8, 3.32 ERA)
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