Dodgers vs. Royals prediction: Picks, odds, live stream, TV channel, start time on Saturday, August 13
Dodgers vs. Royals prediction: Picks, odds, live stream, TV channel, start time on Saturday, August 13

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Kansas City Royals square off on Saturday with first pitch set for 7:10 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Kaufmann Stadium in Kansas City and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. The Dodgers will send Andrew Heaney (1-0, 0.64 ERA) to the mound and the Royals will counter with Brad Keller (6-12, 4.45 ERA).

Los Angeles (78-33) is not only the best team in the NL West but they are arguably the best team in all of baseball as it stands today. The Dodgers have rattled off 11 straight wins and are undefeated through the month of August, including notable sweeps over their division rivals San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres. Don't look now, but the path to October baseball could run through Los Angeles as the Dodgers rank first in runs per game (5.38), ERA (2.89), and WHIP (1.06) while ranking third in batting average (.261).

Kansas City (47-67) had won six of the last seven games before facing the juggernaut that is the Dodgers in the series opener. It's a tall task for any team to limit the batting lineup that Los Angeles has on their hands, but the Royals felt pretty good about their chances coming out of the fifth inning on Friday. The game was still scoreless as starter Daniel Lynch struck out Freddie Freeman and got a deep fly out from Will Smith despite the Dodgers loading the bases. Unfortunately, Los Angeles played the same loaded bases hand in the seventh inning as reliever Josh Staumont could not mimic the same magic as Lynch, leading to a run-scoring double from Freeman and an eventual 8-3 loss.

Dodgers vs. Royals

Pitchers: Andrew Heaney vs. Brad Keller
First pitch: 7:10 p.m. ET
Dodgers local broadcast: Spectrum SportsNet LA
Royals local broadcast: Bally Sports Kansas City
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)

Odds, picks & predictions

Run Line: Dodgers -1.5 (-150)
Run total: 9.5
Moneyline odds: Dodgers -255, Royals +215

Moneyline pick: Dodgers -255

The Dodgers have been playing like the best team in baseball throughout the month of August and either lead in virtually every team statistic or rank near the top. They are also an incredible 38-18 on the road and I don't foresee their winning streak being snapped in Kansas City. Make it 12 straight victories for the Dodgers after Saturday's matchup.

Player prop pick: Freddie Freeman over 1.5 hits (+135)

Freeman has recorded a hit in six of his last seven games and is batting .349 over the past two weeks. He's faced Keller twice at-bat this season and recorded a hit in the process. Freeman has recorded two hits in a game twice in his past four games and after Saturday's contest, you can make it three times as he'll hit the over by the finish of Game 2.

  
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