Kansas City Royals at Pittsburgh Pirates: Betting Trends, Sep 18, 2026 (MLB)
The Kansas City Royals visit the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 18, 2026. This season the Kansas City Royals have covered the spread in 76 of 153 games (49.7%), and the Pittsburgh Pirates have covered the spread in 75 of 153 games (49%) (2026). Every figure on this page is a count of settled games or a line a book posted. DataStreak does not produce picks. Updated September 18, 2026.
Probable starters: KC Randy Dobnak, PIT Paul Skenes.
The posted line
At unibet as of September 18, 2026: PIT -1.5, total 8.5. A line is the number a book posted at that moment, shown as a fact about the market; it is not a forecast and it moves.
Against the spread, 2026 season
Covers of settled games. A cover is a settled game where the final margin beat the closing spread; pushes are left out of the rate.
| Team | Overall | Home | Road | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Royals | 76 of 153 (49.7%) | 40 of 75 (53.3%) | 36 of 78 (46.2%) | 5 of 10 (50%) |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 75 of 153 (49%) | 35 of 75 (46.7%) | 40 of 78 (51.3%) | 6 of 10 (60%) |
Previous meetings
Finished regular-season games between the two, this season and last, newest first.
| Date | Away | Home |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-09 | PIT 3 | KC 4 |
| 2025-07-08 | PIT 3 | KC 4 |
| 2025-07-07 | PIT 3 | KC 9 |
Kansas City Royals: last 5 games
| Date | Opp | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-17 | @ HOU | L 2-6 |
| 2026-09-17 | @ HOU | W 5-2 |
| 2026-09-16 | @ HOU | L 2-4 |
| 2026-09-13 | @ BOS | L 1-4 |
| 2026-09-12 | @ BOS | L 1-5 |
Pittsburgh Pirates: last 5 games
| Date | Opp | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-17 | vs MIL | W 7-4 |
| 2026-09-16 | vs MIL | L 4-5 |
| 2026-09-15 | vs MIL | L 1-5 |
| 2026-09-13 | @ CHC | W 4-3 |
| 2026-09-12 | @ CHC | L 3-4 |
Over each player's last 20 games, the highest clear rate at the lowest posted rung of each market. Counts of games, not projections; each name opens the player's own page.
KC players clearing their prop lines most often
| Player | Market | Line | Cleared | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carter Jensen | Hits | 1+ hits | 17 of 20 | 85% |
| Carter Jensen | Total Bases | 1+ total bases | 17 of 20 | 85% |
| Michael Wacha | Pitcher Strikeouts | 3+ strikeouts | 16 of 20 | 80% |
PIT players clearing their prop lines most often
| Player | Market | Line | Cleared | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jared Jones | Pitcher Strikeouts | 3+ strikeouts | 19 of 19 | 100% |
| Paul Skenes | Pitcher Strikeouts | 3+ strikeouts | 18 of 20 | 90% |
| Bubba Chandler | Pitcher Strikeouts | 3+ strikeouts | 18 of 20 | 90% |
Questions about Kansas City Royals at Pittsburgh Pirates
Who has the better record against the spread, the Kansas City Royals or the Pittsburgh Pirates?
The Kansas City Royals have covered in 76 of 153 games (49.7%) and the Pittsburgh Pirates in 75 of 153 (49%) in the 2026 season, so the Kansas City Royals have the higher rate. A cover is a settled game where the final margin beat the closing spread; a rate is a count of past games, not a prediction of this one.
How have the last meetings between the Kansas City Royals and the Pittsburgh Pirates gone?
Of the last 3 regular-season meetings this season and last, the Pittsburgh Pirates won 0 and the Kansas City Royals won 3. The most recent was PIT 3, KC 4 on July 9, 2025.
Which players in Kansas City Royals at Pittsburgh Pirates clear their prop lines most often?
Jared Jones has cleared 3+ strikeouts in 19 of his last 19 games (100%); Paul Skenes has cleared 3+ strikeouts in 18 of his last 20 games (90%), over each player's last 20 games at the lowest posted rung. Counts of games, not projections.
Are these KC at PIT numbers picks?
No. Every figure is a count of settled games or a line a book posted, shown with the games it comes from so the arithmetic is checkable. DataStreak does not produce picks. Updated September 18, 2026.
How these numbers are measured
A cover is a settled game where the final margin beat the closing spread; a push is a margin that landed on it. Previous meetings are finished regular-season games between the two teams. The prop rates count the games in which a player's stat reached the line over that player's last 20 games. A posted line is one book's number on one day. Nothing here is a projection.
Both teams' full pages: Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates. The live board with every team and tonight's lines is the MLB ATS Radar. Every MLB player at a glance: MLB player prop hit rates, or read how the boards are built.