| MATCHUP | Kansas City Royals | New York Mets |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 38-55 | 39-54 |
| Spread | +1.5 -168 | -1.5 139 |
| Moneyline | +123 | -149 |
| Total | Over 9 (-118) | Under 9 (-102) |
| Where | Citi Field, Queens, New York | |
| When | Thursday, July 9, 2026 | |
| Time | 01:10 PM EDT | |
| TV | MLB.TV | |
Kansas City Royals Betting Preview
The Kansas City Royals are 38-55 on the year and play the Orioles next. The Kansas City Royals are batting .248 on the season, have a .319 OBP, and have a .398 slugging percentage. The Kansas City Royals’ pitching staff has a 4.86 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP. Bobby Witt Jr. leads the Kansas City Royals with 99 hits and 38 RBI, while Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone have combined for 151 hits and 82 RBI.
Michael Wacha gets the ball for the Kansas City Royals, and he is 5-6 with a 3.45 ERA and 91 strikeouts this season. Wacha is 5-4 with a 3.59 ERA and 57 strikeouts in his career against the New York Mets.
New York Mets Betting Preview
The New York Mets are 39-54 on the year and play the Red Sox next. The New York Mets are batting .234 on the season, have a .302 OBP, and have a .381 slugging percentage. The New York Mets’ pitching staff has a 4.34 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. Bo Bichette leads the New York Mets with 97 hits and 50 RBI, while Carson Benge and Juan Soto have combined for 178 hits and 85 RBI.
Sean Manaea gets the ball for the New York Mets, and he is 1-4 with a 4.76 ERA and 68 strikeouts this season. Manaea is 2-3 with a 5.50 ERA and 37 strikeouts in his career against the Kansas City Royals.
Why the New York Mets will win
- The Mets have won seven of their last eight games at Citi Field against teams that held a losing record.
- The Royals have lost eight of their last nine Thursday games.
- The Mets have covered the run line in five of their last six games at Citi Field.
- The Royals have failed to cover the run line in eight of their last nine Thursday games.
- The Royals have lost the first inning in four of their last five games against National League opponents that held a losing record.
- The Mets have led after 3 innings in four of their last five games at Citi Field against opponents that held a losing record.
- The Royals have trailed after 5 innings in 10 of their last 11 Thursday games.
Why the Kansas City Royals will win
- The Royals have won four of their last five games as underdogs against National League opponents following a road loss.
- The Mets have lost three of their last four games as home favorites following a win.
- The Royals have covered the run line in 14 of their last 16 day games against National League opponents following a road loss.
- The Mets have failed to cover the run line in each of their last four games against the Royals following a home win.
- The Royals have led after 3 innings in four of their last five day games against National League opponents.
- The Mets have trailed after 5 innings in three of their last four day games.
Total Runs Facts
- Six of the Mets’ last seven day games after playing the previous day have gone OVER the total runs line.
- Six of the Royals’ last eight games as road underdogs have gone OVER the total runs line.
- There has been at least one run scored in the first inning in each of the Royals’ last eight Thursday games.
- There has been at least one run scored in the first inning in each of the Mets’ last four home games against AL Central opponents.
New York Mets Player Prop Facts
- A.J. Ewing has hit a home run in each of the Mets’ last three games at Citi Field.
- Brett Baty has recorded at least one hit in each of the Mets’ last nine home games against AL opponents.
- Sean Manaea has recorded five or more strikeouts in 14 of his last 16 home appearances against AL Central opponents.
- Juan Soto ranks 6th amongst qualified players for Slugging Percentage (.568) this season.
Kansas City Royals Player Prop Facts
- Salvador Perez has hit a home run in three of the Royals’ last five day games against NL opponents that held a losing record.
- Michael Wacha has recorded five or more strikeouts in five of his last six appearances in day games.
- Carter Jensen has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 12 appearances with the Royals as road underdogs.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Mets rank 3rd in the league for strikeouts this season (851).
- The Mets rank 27th in the league for slugging percentage this season (.381).
- The Royals rank 28th in the league for opponent batting average this season (.263).
- The Royals rank 27th in the league for hits allowed this season (829).
Kansas City Royals vs New York Mets Prediction
I’ve faded the Royals all season, but I’m not going to back the Mets either, especially in a favorite role. Manaea has been rough through 68 innings with a 5.16 ERA and 1.37 WHIP. The Royals are awful as a team, but Wacha has a 3.45 ERA and 1.16 WHIP through 114.2 innings. The Royals have the edge on the mound in this spot. So, if forced to get involved, I’m going to side with the Royals due to the advantage on the bump.