Kansas City Royals vs Toronto Blue Jays Prediction, 9/8/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Kansas City Royals vs Toronto Blue Jays

Date: Friday, September 8, 2023

Location: Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON

TV: Sportsnet

Odds/Point Spread: Kansas City (+160) Toronto (-192)

The Toronto Blue Jays (77-63) are hosting the Kansas City Royals (44-97) at Rogers Centre on Friday. The moneyline on this contest has the Royals at +160 and the Blue Jays are priced at -192. The over/under has been set at 9. The starting pitchers are Alec Marsh and Yusei Kikuchi.

Kansas City has a slugging % of .396 and have been called out on strikes 1,202 times, while taking a walk on 345 occasions. They have recorded 553 runs batted in as well as 1,149 base knocks this season, while their team batting average is sitting at .243. The Royals have earned 231 doubles as a team and have knocked 141 balls out of the park. They have a total of 574 runs while holding a team OBP of .300. As a unit, the Kansas City Royals are knocking in 4.1 runs per game, which has them sitting at 27th in MLB.

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Their K/BB ratio is 2.34 and the pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.41. Royals pitchers have allowed 185 home runs in addition to 753 runs in total (28th in baseball). Kansas City has conceded 1,255 hits (9.2 per 9 innings) as well as 710 earned runs. The Royals have an ERA of 5.21 over the course of the season (28th in baseball), and the staff has rung up 1,107 batters. They have walked 473 opposing hitters and their FIP comes in at 4.74 as a squad for the season.

Royals pitchers have come into the game with runners on 96 times as well as having 112 appearances in high leverage situations. The relievers have racked up 51 holds so far this season (29th in MLB). The Royals bullpen have earned a save percentage of 48.7% and has come into the game in 90 save situations. They have compiled 19 saves this season and have blown 20 out of their 39 save chances. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 156 runners on the campaign with 37.2% of them ended up crossing the plate. The Royals have sent 457 relief pitchers to the mound for the season.

The Royals have turned 68.3% of baseballs in play into outs out of their 11,043 innings, which has them ranked 24th in MLB. The Kansas City Royals have notched a total of 3,681 putouts this season, as well as 1,218 assists and 69 errors. Their fielding percentage is currently at .986 which ranks 12th in pro baseball, and have accumulated 108 double plays.

Marsh (0-8 career mark) holds a FIP of 6.84 while he has faced 244 opposing hitters in the majors. He has given up 57 base knocks (9.9 hits per nine innings) and has had 29 walks. His ERA is 6.23 (36 earned runs allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.654. Marsh has pitched in 52 innings and has tallied 60 K's thus far in his career.

Toronto has accumulated 163 long balls on the year to go along with 614 runs batted in. They have put up 254 two-baggers, while getting a free base 477 times and putting up 645 runs. The Toronto Blue Jays have accounted for an on-base percentage of .333 in addition to a batting average of .260 on the campaign. The Blue Jays have a team slugging % of .420 and they average 4.61 runs per game (15th in the league). They have struck out on 1,118 instances (23rd in MLB) and have earned 1,253 hits.

The Blue Jays have a team WHIP of 1.235 and have a FIP of 4.06 as a team on the campaign. They are sitting at 10th in MLB as a pitching staff in total hits surrendered with 1,134. The Toronto pitching staff have conceded 572 runs so far this season and come in with a team ERA of 3.72 (516 earned runs conceded). Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 9.40 (1,310 strikeouts against 410 walks). They have relinquished 171 homers and they surrender 4.12 runs per 9 innings (3rd in the league).

Sitting with 154 save situations, the Blue Jays have amassed 91 holds and 16 blown saves. Toronto has called on bullpen pitchers to step onto the mound in 63 save opportunities and they have walked away with 47 saves. Their bullpen pitchers have come in 168 times in high leverage situations and on 144 occasions with runners on base. Toronto relievers have an inherited score percentage of 22.2% of 207 inherited base runners. They are currently ranked 2nd in baseball with a save rate of 74.6%, and they have dispatched 473 relievers to the hill so far this season.

The Toronto Blue Jays have gotten 107 double plays and have a fielding percentage of .987 (10th in the majors). The Blue Jays have recorded 1,117 assists, 66 errors and have notched a total of 3,750 putouts on the campaign. Out of their 11,250 innings played, the Blue Jays have earned a defensive efficiency of 69.5% (11th in the majors).

During his career, Kikuchi has allowed 613 hits while accumulating 602 strikeouts in 610 innings. He has conceded a total of 318 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.385 and being the owner of a FIP of 4.9. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.59 and he has gone up against 2,637 opposing batters so far in his pro baseball career. Kikuchi (30-36 career record) has a 4.69 earned run average while allowing 9.0 hits per 9 innings.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Toronto (-192)

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