Kansas City Royals vs Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia plays its sixth straight on the road. Starter Kolby Allard (3.46 ERA) has been very good, especially away from home with a 2.00 ERA on the road. Kansas City has won seven of nine allowing an average of 3.44 runs. Starter Seth Lugo (3.02 ERA) has had a strong campaign holding batters to a .224 average. Take Philadelphia/Kansas City UNDER the total.

The Kansas City Royals lost 106 games last season, and here they are with September fast approaching just one game behind Cleveland in the AL Central. Kansas City revamped their rotation and have quality starters. The pen has done its job, and the Royals have limited 84 opponents on the season to four or fewer runs, 2nd only to the pitching rich LA Dodgers who have done so 89 times. They send Brady Singer to the mound and the Royals have allowed one or less runs in eight of his starts. Philadelphia has a staggering offense right now. The Phillies have scored four or fewer runs in five straight games, and five of their last seven have played UNDER the total. Make the play UNDER the total.

Kansas City is a big dog but is playing well on an 8-3 run. They've won as underdogs of +185, +150, +170, +155, +135, +135, and +225. The offense has erupted for 53 runs over the last eight contests. That included a 7-5 win at Philadelphia to open this series as a +225 dog. Zack Greinke comes off a 7-6 win over the Mets allowing one run in 5 innings. He's allowed 2 runs or less in three of his last five starts. Philadelphia is 4-4 over the last eight games losing as chalk of -170, -140, -110, and -245. The pitching staff is 21st in ERA (4.43) and the defense is 17th in fielding percentage. Starter Taijuan Walker doesn't have great control (43 walks in 119 innings) and has allowed 14 runs in his last five starts (30+ innings, 15 walks, 27 hits). The Phillies are 33-41 at home against AL teams that allow 4.9+ runs per game, plus 3-9 versus a pitcher who gives up one or more homers per start. Play Kansas City.

Philadelphia will try to slow down the surprising Royals, who have won seven in a row following Friday's 7-5 victory over the Phillies, who have a great opportunity to bounce back with Christopher Sanchez on the hill in tonight's game. Sanchez has not had a lot of run support lately, but he has allowed only seven runs his past five starts in 28 innings. The Phillies still have won 19 of 26 interleague games and Kansas City has lost 39 of 52 road games. Alec Marsh has yet to win a decision this season with a 0-5 mark and the Royals have lost five of his six starts. The UNDER is 19-9-1 in Philadelphia's past 29 interleague games and the Phillies are 7-2 UNDER in Sanchez's past nine starts overall. Take the Phillies and the UNDER.