Kansas City Royals vs Atlanta Braves Prediction, 3/27/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Kansas City Royals vs Atlanta Braves

Date: Friday, March 27, 2026

Location: Truist Park in Cumberland, GA

TV: Braves.TV

Odds/Point Spread: Kansas City (-145) Atlanta (+125)

The Atlanta Braves (76-86 last year) will try to beat the Kansas City Royals (82-80 last season) at Truist Park on Friday. The moneyline on this contest has Kansas City at -145 while Atlanta is sitting at +125. The over/under is set at 9. The expected starting pitchers will be Cole Ragans and Chris Sale.

As a team, the Kansas City Royals earned 4.0 runs per game, which was 26th in baseball. They earned 651 runs while holding a team on-base percentage of .309. The Royals accumulated 292 two-baggers as a squad and smacked 159 baseballs out of the stadium. They compiled 638 runs batted in in addition to 1,342 base knocks during the previous year, and their team batting average was at .247. Kansas City had a slugging percentage of .397 and struck out 1,096 times, while being walked on 435 occasions.

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The Royals finished with a team ERA of 3.73 over the course of last season (6th in baseball), and their staff rung up 1,271 hitters. Royals pitchers allowed 171 home runs and 637 total runs (4th in MLB). Their pitching staff walked 478 opposing hitters and their FIP was 4.01 as a squad for the prior year. Kansas City conceded 1,308 base knocks (8.2 per 9 innings) in addition to 595 earned runs. They earned a K/BB ratio of 2.66 and their pitching staff had a team WHIP of 1.24.

The Royals sent 547 relief pitchers to the hill over the course of last year. The relief pitchers inherited 220 runners last year and 27.3% of them crossed the plate. They earned 47 saves over the course of last season and blew 20 out of their 67 save chances. The Royals relief pitchers recorded a save percentage of 70.1% and entered the game in 158 save situations. The relief pitchers accumulated 89 holds for the previous season (15th in MLB). Royals bullpen pitchers entered the game with runners on base 161 times in addition to having 174 outings in high leverage situations.

The Houston Astros accumulated 4,310 putouts over the course of the prior season, in addition to 1,437 assists and 62 errors. Their fielding percentage held steady at .988 which ranked 8th in pro baseball, and they turned 132 double plays. The Royals turned 70.8% of balls hit into play into outs out of 12,930 innings on the field, which had them sitting 7th in MLB.

Ragans has taken the hill for 383 innings and has earned 461 punch outs so far in his MLB career. His earned run average is 3.66 (156 ER's allowed) and his WHIP is 1.190. He has conceded 312 base knocks (7.3 hits per nine innings) and has 144 walks. Ragans (21-20 career record) holds a FIP of 3.61 while he has gone up against 1,585 batters during his time in the major leagues.

The Braves held a slugging percentage of .399 and they were scoring 4.47 runs per outing (13th in the league). They tallied 243 two-baggers, while walking 575 times and scoring 724 runs. Atlanta accumulated 190 home runs last season in addition to 701 RBIs. They struck out on 1,371 occasions (14th in MLB) and tallied 1,349 base knocks. The Atlanta Braves had a team on-base percentage of .320 in addition to a batting average of .245 last season.

The Braves held a team WHIP of 1.306 with a FIP of 4.20 as a staff over the course of the prior season. They earned a K/BB ratio of 8.90 (1,416 strikeouts against 530 walks). They were sitting at 20th in baseball as a pitching staff in total hits conceded with 1,348. They yielded 197 homers and they allowed 4.59 runs per 9 innings (20th in the league). The Atlanta pitching staff allowed 734 runs over the course of last year while holding a team ERA of 4.36 (696 earned runs relinquished).

Atlanta relievers held an inherited score rate of 38.6% of 215 inherited base runners. Their relievers came in 168 times in high leverage situations and also on 158 occasions with runners on base. With 128 save situations, the Braves had 73 holds in addition to 21 blown saves. They were sitting at 20th in baseball with a save rate of 61.8%, and they dispatched 520 relievers to the hill last season. Atlanta had relievers step onto the mound in 55 save opportunities and they walked away with 34 saves.

The Atlanta Braves turned 109 double plays and had a fielding rate of .991 (2nd in professional baseball). The Braves recorded 1,367 assists, 54 errors and notched a total of 4,314 putouts in the previous season. In 12,942 innings played, the Braves held a defensive efficiency of 69.8% (18th in pro baseball).

Sale (145-88 win-loss record in his career) has a 3.01 earned run average and has surrendered 7.3 hits per nine innings. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 5.30 and he has gone up against 8,389 opposing batters thus far in his career. He has given up 697 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.046 and a FIP of 3.0. During his MLB career, Sale has allowed 1,692 hits while tallying 2,579 K's in 2,083 frames.

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

Parlay's Pundit's Pick: Take Atlanta (+125) and under 9 runs

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