MLB Prop Bets: Kansas City Royals vs Boston Red Sox (May 18, 2026)
The Boston Red Sox (19-27) face the Kansas City Royals (20-27) at Kauffman Stadium on Monday at 7:40pm (ET). Let's take a look at the MLB Prop Bets for the matchup. Sonny Gray is the probable pitcher for the Red Sox, while Seth Lugo is the probable pitcher for the Royals. The Red Sox are favored to win at -112, while the Royals are at -108. The total runs line is set at 9.0, with OVER at -120 and UNDER at -101.
- The Red Sox (+142) have an 18-28 Run Line record this season, while the Royals (-172) hold a record of 21-26.
- The Red Sox have a 20-25-1 O/U record this season (meaning 20 games have gone over the total runs line, 25 have gone under and one has resulted in a push). The Royals have a 21-24-2 O/U record.
Scoring Insights
- The Red Sox are averaging 3.6 runs per game this season (29th in the league). Comparatively, the Royals are averaging 4.0 (24th).
- In the field, the Red Sox are allowing 4.1 runs per game this season (8th in the league), while the Royals are allowing an average of 4.5 runs (17th).
Let's take a look at how these teams perform in some other key statistical areas.
Batting Insights:
Batting Average
- Looking at their batting averages this season, the Red Sox are at .235 (ranking 22nd in the Major leagues), while the Royals are batting .240 (15th).
Home Runs
- In terms of total home runs this season, the Royals have hit 46 (T18th in the Major Leagues). Meanwhile, the Red Sox have managed 33 (29th).
Runs Batted In
- Finally, looking at their runs batted in, the Red Sox have recorded 160 RBIs to rank 29th in the MLB this season. Comparatively, the Royals have recorded 182 RBIs to rank 23rd.
Pitching Insights:
Earned Run Average
- The Royals have an earned run average of 4.28 this season (20th in the Majors), while The Red Sox have an ERA of 3.81 (9th).
Strikeouts
- Turning our attention to total strikeouts, the Red Sox have recorded 370 this season, ranking 21st in the MLB. Meanwhile, the Royals rank 14th for total strikeouts, recording 392.
Opponent Batting Average
- Opponents are batting an average of .239 against the Royals this season (14th in the Major Leagues). Comparatively, the Red Sox's opponents are at .237 (12th).
First Innings Moneyline
- Here are their first innings moneyline records in 2026.
| Total | Home | Road | Favorite | Underdog | Neutral | Last 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Sox | 4-16-26 | 1-5-16 | 3-11-10 | 1-8-20 | 3-8-6 | 0-0-0 | 0-5-5 |
| Royals | 7-11-29 | 3-5-15 | 4-6-14 | 3-6-17 | 4-5-12 | 0-0-0 | 3-3-4 |
Lead After Three Innings
- Here are their records after the first three innings in 2026.
| Total | Home | Road | Favorite | Underdog | Neutral | Last 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Sox | 13-19-14 | 8-7-7 | 5-12-7 | 8-9-12 | 5-10-2 | 0-0-0 | 2-5-3 |
| Royals | 15-22-10 | 9-9-5 | 6-13-5 | 7-14-5 | 8-8-5 | 0-0-0 | 3-5-2 |
NRFI/YRFI
The NRFI market is paying -115 and the YRFI is paying -110.
- The NRFI is 25-21 in Red Sox games this season. The Royals have a 28-19 NRFI record.
Last Time They Met
The Royals recorded a 7-3 victory over the Red Sox at Fenway Park when these teams last met on August 6, 2025. Jonathan India was unstoppable in that matchup, hitting a home run, a single and recording 3 RBIs. That result snapped the Red Sox's four-game winning streak against the Royals.
