MLB Prop Bets: Pittsburgh Pirates vs Kansas City Royals (September 18, 2026)
The Kansas City Royals (67-86) face the Pittsburgh Pirates (76-77) at PNC Park on Friday at 6:40pm (ET). Let's take a look at the MLB Prop Bets for the matchup. Randy Dobnak is the probable pitcher for the Royals, while Paul Skenes is the probable pitcher for the Pirates. The Pirates are favored to win at -186, while the Royals are at +153. The total runs line is set at 8.0, with OVER at -108 and UNDER at -112.
- The Royals (-144) have a 76-77 Run Line record this season, while the Pirates (+119) hold a record of 71-82.
- The Royals have a 66-81-6 O/U record this season (meaning 66 games have gone over the total runs line, 81 have gone under and six have resulted in a push). The Pirates have a 78-68-7 O/U record.
Scoring Insights
- The Royals are averaging 4.2 runs per game this season (24th in the league). Comparatively, the Pirates are averaging +0.6 more at 4.8 runs (5th).
- In the field, the Royals are allowing a whopping 4.8 runs per game this season (25th in the league), while the Pirates are allowing an average of 4.6 runs (20th).
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 Royals are at .244 (ranking 14th in the Major leagues), while the Pirates are batting .253 (5th).
Home Runs
- In terms of total home runs this season, the Pirates have hit 175 (T14th in the Major Leagues). Meanwhile, the Royals have managed 158 (T22nd).
Runs Batted In
- Finally, looking at their runs batted in, the Pirates have been outstanding this season, recording 697 RBIs to rank 5th in the MLB. Comparatively, the Royals have performed poorly in this area, recording only 611 RBIs to rank 25th.
Pitching Insights:
Earned Run Average
- The Pirates have an earned run average of 4.19 this season (17th in the Majors), while The Royals have an ERA of 4.63 (25th).
Strikeouts
- Turning our attention to total strikeouts, the Pirates have recorded an impressive 1398 this season, ranking 5th in the MLB. Contrastingly, the Royals rank 28th for total strikeouts, recording only 1107.
Opponent Batting Average
- Opponents are batting an average of .237 against the Pirates this season (11th in the Major Leagues). Comparatively, the Royals' opponents are at .258 (28th).
First Innings Moneyline
- Here are their first innings moneyline records in 2026.
| Total | Home | Road | Favorite | Underdog | Neutral | Last 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royals | 34-37-82 | 19-19-37 | 15-18-45 | 10-14-29 | 24-23-53 | 0-0-0 | 2-1-7 |
| Pirates | 41-27-85 | 23-13-39 | 18-14-46 | 25-10-41 | 16-17-44 | 0-0-0 | 3-1-6 |
Lead After Three Innings
- Here are their records after the first three innings in 2026.
| Total | Home | Road | Favorite | Underdog | Neutral | Last 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royals | 48-68-37 | 29-30-16 | 19-38-21 | 15-25-13 | 33-43-24 | 0-0-0 | 3-3-4 |
| Pirates | 60-53-40 | 37-19-19 | 23-34-21 | 36-21-19 | 24-32-21 | 0-0-0 | 4-4-2 |
NRFI/YRFI
The NRFI market is paying -125 and the YRFI is paying -105.
- The NRFI is 76-77 in Royals games this season. The Pirates have an 81-72 NRFI record.
Last Time They Met
The Royals recorded a 4-3 victory over the Pirates at Kauffman Stadium when these teams last met on July 9, 2025. Salvador Perez was crushing the ball in that matchup, hitting 2 home runs and recording 2 RBIs. The Royals have now won three straight against the Pirates.
