San Francisco Giants at Kansas City Royals, MLB forecast
Win probability
Starts from the pregame forecast, then moves with the score and the time left after each inning. Above the line favors KC.
Game center
From the ESPN box score.
Top performers
Giants- Willy AdamesBatting1-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI
- Trevor McDonaldPitching4.0 IP, 3 ER, 3 K
Royals- Salvador PerezBatting1-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI
- Michael WachaPitching6.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 K
Scoring summary
- 9Loftin hit sacrifice bunt, Rojas scored, Tolbert to second.3–4
- 9Adames homered to right center (380 feet), Lee scored.3–3
- 4Collins singled to right, Massey scored.1–3
- 4Perez homered to center (440 feet), Pasquantino scored.1–2
- 4Ramos homered to right center (430 feet).1–0
The pick
Reconstructed from what was known before the game: the ratings at that point and the closing line.
Royals 53%
Forecast Elo ratings alone
How often that comes true: MLB favorites the forecast gave 50–55% have won 52.7% of 2,871 graded games.
- Market
- KC 53%
- ML SF +104 / KC -126
- Pre-line forecast
- KC 54%
- Elo + market-implied
- Elo ratings
- KC 52%
- Ratings vs. market
- −1.4 pts
- KC: Elo 51.8%, market 53.2%
- Fair odds
- KC -114
- SF +114 · the forecast as odds, no margin
- Pregame projection
- SF 4.9 – 5.1 KC
- Margin from the forecast, posted total 10
How the number is built
Elo inputs in rating points (higher favors that team; 25–28 Elo is about a point of spread in football and basketball), then how the pieces combine.
| Factor | SF | KC | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team rating | 1479 | 1469 | Elo entering the game; 1500 is league average |
| Home field | — | +18 | Worth 18 Elo in MLB |
| Starting pitchers | +4 | +8 | SF: Trevor McDonald: team allows 0.21 fewer runs than with its usual starter (≈8 weighted starts) · KC: Michael Wacha: team allows 0.41 fewer runs than with its usual starter (≈10 weighted starts) |
| Elo ratings | KC +12 Elo | KC 51.8% | |
| Market-implied ratings | KC 54.5% | Team strength as past closing lines priced it, same game context | |
| Pre-line forecast | KC 54.1% | 15% Elo, 85% market-implied (log-odds blend) | |
| Forecast | KC 53.2% | Follows the market (vig removed): in testing, adding the ratings made it less accurate | |
Tale of the tape
This season coming into the game, regular season, each number with its league rank (the longer the bar, the higher). Home and road: the host's record at home against the visitor's on the road. Opponent Elo: how strong the teams each has played are, 1st the toughest.
| SF | Stat | KC |
|---|---|---|
| 25th of 304.1 | Runs scored | 4.320th of 30 |
| 21st of 304.7 | Runs allowed | 5.327th of 30 |
| 25th of 30−0.6 | Margin | −1.029th of 30 |
| 13th of 305–5 | Last 10 | 4–619th of 30 |
| 27th of 3020–32 | Road vs home | 23–2722nd of 30 |
| 14th of 301501 | Opponent Elo | 150210th of 30 |
| 24th of 301479 | Elo rating | 146927th of 30 |
Rating history
Each team's Elo over the last two seasons. Hover or drag to compare on any date.
Recent form
Last five results, and whether the forecast hit.
Against the line
How each team has done against the closing spread and total, coming into this game.
| This season |  SF |  KC |
|---|---|---|
| Run line | 47–52 | 49–51 |
| Last 10 | 6–4 | 4–6 |
| Favorite | 16–23 | 14–22 |
| Underdog | 31–29 | 35–29 |
| Overs–unders | 45–44–10 | 49–49–2 |
| Overs–unders, last 10 | 5–3–2 | 6–4 |
Against each game's closing line. Books set every line knowing these records: across 3,901 past games, the team with the better record against the spread so far that season covered 51.2%, short of the 52.4% a standard −110 bet needs, and over/under streaks held 48.0% of the time. They describe the past.
Head to head
SF 5–4 KC in their last 9 meetings; the forecast called 2 of 9.