Washington Nationals vs Kansas City Royals Prediction – 8/12/2025
The Kansas City Royals and Washington Nationals will face off on Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. The Royals won the first game of this series on Monday night to move to 59-60 on the season. Kansas City will look for a second straight win over the Nats to get back to the .500 mark for the year. Here, I break down whether or not I think that will happen, as I make my Royals vs Nationals prediction.
Our Nationals vs Royals Pick
- Pick: Kansas City Royals –1.5
- Confidence: ★★★☆☆
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Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Washington Nationals vs Kansas City Royals
- Date & Time: Tuesday, August 12, 2025 at 7:40 p.m. ET
- Starting Pitchers: Mitchell Parker vs Michael Wacha
- Stadium: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO
- Broadcast: MLB.tv
Key Storylines
Pitching matchup
Michael Wacha gives the Royals a reliable veteran presence on the mound. He’s posted a 3.36 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP and has been particularly solid at home. He has a 2.63 ERA over 11 home starts this season. Mitchell Parker for Washington has struggled. He has had an especially hard time on the road. Parker has a 6.10 ERA and 1.47 WHIP in 10 away starts.
Key Players
- Kansas City: Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez, and Maikel Garcia are the top impact players in the Royals’ lineup this season.
- Washington: James Wood and CJ Abrams are providing the offense in an otherwise weak lineup.
Recent team streaks
- The Royals are 3-2 over their last five games.
- Washington is 2-3 over their last five. They had a two-game winning streak snapped on Monday.
Best Player Props
| Player | Prop |
|---|---|
| James Wood (WSH) | Over 1.5 Total Bases |
| Salvador Perez (KC) | Over 0.5 Home Runs |
| Michael Wacha (KC) | Over 5.5 Strikeouts |
Betting Trends & H2H
- The Royals are 1-0 against the Nationals so far this year.
- The first game of this series flew over the total with 11 runs scored.
- Kansas City moved above .500 at home with yesterday’s win. They are 29-28 at home for the year.
Nationals vs Royals Model Projection
Score Projection: Royals 5 – Nationals 3
Win Probability: Royals 65%, Nationals 35%
Final Thoughts
The Royals hold multiple advantages going into this game. They have a more consistent pitcher in Wacha, a better bullpen, and more recent momentum. Instead of backing the Royals on the moneyline and laying that kind of vig, I recommend laying the runline with Kansas City instead. They should be able to win by multiple runs for the second straight game.
