Cleveland Guardians vs Kansas City Royals Preview
Both the Royals and Guardians will be looking to pick up a win today, as they are facing off in an AL Central matchup. However, the forecasted winning odds are with the Guardians, as their money line odds are -141 compared to the Royals at +120. Today’s over/under line is at 8 runs, and the game is being played at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
First pitch for this one is set for 1:10 PM ET, and BSGL will be carrying it on TV. Kansas City is currently on a three-game winning streak, and they are 75-58 overall. The Guardians are also 75-58 and they will start Tanner Bibee. Michael Wacha is slated to start for the Royals.
Check out BetCoco for Cleveland Guardians – Kansas City Royals odds
Cleveland Guardians vs. Kansas City Royals Trends and Key Stats
- Across their last five road games, the Royals are 5-0. This includes going 4-1 vs. the runline.
- On the other side, the Guardians have gone 1-4 (SU) and 2-3 in their previous five home contests.
- The Guardians have a straight-up record of 6-4 in their last ten games as the favorite, and a 4-6 record vs. the runline.
- Looking at the Royals’ previous ten games as the underdog they are 4-6 straight-up and 5-5 vs. the runline.
Thanks to a three-run 7th inning for the Royals’ offense, they cruised to a 6-1 win over the Guardians in the most recent game of this series. Heading into the game, the Royals were at +138 on the money line.
The starting pitching matchup for this game featured Michael Lorenzen for the Royals, and he went just 1 2/3 innings while giving up one hit and no earned runs. James McArthur got the win out of the bullpen for the Royals. Gavin Williams only went five innings for the Guardians, giving up two earned runs on three hits.
Kansas City got a huge performance from Paul DeJong, as he went 1/2 with a home run and two RBIs. Salvador Perez also had a two-hit game for the Royals’ offense.
Cleveland Guardians vs Kansas City Royals Prediction
Kansas City is 75-58 overall this season, and they have won three straight games, all of which have come on the road. The Royals are 2nd in the AL Central, and they have a division record of 29-13. Their overall series record is 19-21-1.
This season, the Royals have been good as the favorite, going 43-25, and they are 32-33 as the underdog. On the road, the Royals have won seven straight games, and their road record is 34-30. So far, they have gone 41-28 at home.
When the Royals are on the road, they have been a solid bet against the run line this season, going 36-28. They have covered the run line in two straight games and have covered the run line in 40 of 65 games as the underdog. Their average run differential on the road is +0.9 runs per game.
The Kansas City Royals are on the road today against the Cleveland Guardians. The over/under line for the game is set at 8 runs, which is lower than their season average of 9 runs per game. The Royals have played 86 games this season with over/under lines set higher than 8 runs, and their over/under record when the line is set at 8 runs is 12-11-2.
Michael Wacha gets the start for the Royals today as he faces the Guardians on the road. He has made 23 starts this season and has a record of 11-6 with a 3.32 ERA. Wacha has pitched well recently, as he has picked up the win in each of his last three outings. In his most recent start, he went six innings and gave up two earned runs on six hits. Looking back over his last three starts, he has given up a total of four home runs. Wacha’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.20.
Over the past eight games, Salvador Perez and MJ Melendez have been swinging the bat well for the Royals, with Perez batting .367 with three homers and nine RBIs, and Melendez also having three homers while going 9/26. Perez is currently on a four-game hitting streak, as is Bobby Witt Jr. Witt Jr. has been one of the league’s top hitters this season, batting .346 with 27 homers and 94 RBIs.
Overall, the Royals are 8th in scoring at 4.9 runs per game. They have been even better at home, averaging 5.2 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .258, which is the 5th best mark in the league. Kansas City is also one of the league’s best teams at avoiding strikeouts.
Cleveland is 75-58 overall this season, and they are tied with the Royals for the AL Central lead. The Guardians have dropped three straight games, and this series vs. the Royals, they are down 0-3. So far, their overall record vs. other AL Central teams is 21-20.
At home, the Guardians are 40-24 this season, but they have dropped three straight at home. On the road, they are just above .500 at 35-34. As the favorite, the Guardians are 52-29 this year and 23-29 as the underdog. So far, their overall series record is 24-13-4.
When the Cleveland Guardians are the home team, they have a run line record of 30-34 and an average run margin of 0.7 runs per game. They have been the favorite in 81 games and have gone 35-46 against the run line in those games. In their 65 wins, they have an average run margin of 3.4 runs, while in their 68 losses, they have an average run margin of -3.2 runs.
Today’s over/under line of 8 runs is lower than the Cleveland Guardians’ season average of 8.5 runs per game. The Guardians have played 62 games this season with higher over/under lines than 8 runs, which accounts for 46.6% of their games. Their over/under record when the line is set at 8 runs is 12-13-5, and their overall over/under record for the season is 63-61.
Cleveland is sending right-hander Tanner Bibee to the mound today vs. the Royals. He has made 25 starts this season and has a record of 10-6 with a 3.46 ERA. Bibee’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.10. In his 25 starts, he has turned in eight quality starts and is averaging 9.78 strikeouts per nine innings. Bibee has done better on the road this year, coming in with a record of 6-3 and an ERA of 2.89 compared to 4-3 with a 4.63 ERA at home. His last outing came on August 23rd, where he took the loss, giving up four earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work.
Over his last five games, Jhonkensy Noel has gone 4/17 with two homers and six runs batted in. For the season, he is batting just .235. José Ramírez has been the team’s top hitter this season, batting .275 with 33 homers and 104 RBIs.
As a team, the Guardians are averaging 4.5 runs per game, which is 13th in the league. They have been a better offensive team at home this season, averaging 4.9 runs per contest. Overall, they are batting just .236, which is 17th in the league.
Our prediction for today’s Royals vs. Guardians game is to take the Guardians on the money line at -141. We do have this game ending with a final score of 6-5 in favor of the Guardians, giving us a bit of wiggle room if you wanted to take the over on the line, as the line is currently sitting at 8 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we do have Tanner Bibee’s strikeout numbers, and he is projected to finish with six K’s. As for Michael Wacha, he is only projected to finish with four strikeouts, and we have him as one of the worst starters in terms of allowing hits and runs.
Cleveland Guardians vs Kansas City Royals Betting Tips
- Take the Guardians on the moneyline
- On the run line we like the Royals (+1.5)
- Projecting a combined 11 runs, we like the over
Cleveland Guardians Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Carlos Carrasco | Out | Hip |
| Alex Cobb | Out | Finger |
| Sam Hentges | Out | Shoulder |
| Shane Bieber | Out | Elbow |
| Trevor Stephan | Out | Elbow |
| James Karinchak | Out | Shoulder |
Kansas City Royals Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Will Smith | Out | Back |
| Michael Lorenzen | Questionable | Hamstring |
| Hunter Renfroe | Out | Hamstring |
| Hunter Harvey | Out | Back |
| Cole Ragans | Questionable | Calf |
| Dan Altavilla | Out | Oblique |
| Josh Taylor | Out | Biceps |
| Kyle Wright | Out | Shoulder |
