Kansas City Royals vs Cleveland Guardians Prediction & Betting Tips 6/28/2024

Kansas City Royals vs Cleveland Guardians Preview

Cleveland is the favorite on the money line, as they are sitting at -123 compared to the Royals, who are at +104. This AL Central matchup is set for 8:10 PM ET from Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. The forecast calls for cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid-80s.

BSGL will be televising Friday’s game, and the Guardians are currently 51-28, which has them first in the AL Central. The Royals are on a two-game winning streak and are 3rd in the division at 45-38. Alec Marsh is starting for the Royals, and he is facing off against Triston McKenzie for the Guardians.

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Kansas City Royals Trends and Key Stats

• The Guardians are 2-3 across their last five road games. They have gone 2-3 vs. the runline.
• The Royals, on the other hand, have played five home games recently, during which they have recorded a 1-4 (SU) and 0-5 record.
• Over their last ten games, the Guardians have a 7-3 straight-up record when playing as the favorite, along with a 6-4 record vs. the runline.
• The Royals have a 3-7 record vs. the runline and a 5-5 straight-up record in their last ten games as the underdog.

It was a low-scoring game in the most recent game of this Royals vs Guardians series. Kansas City went into the matchup as slight underdogs at -105 and squeaked out a 2-1 win. Both teams scored one run in the first inning, and the Guardians could only muster one more run in the 5th inning. As for the Royals, they scored the game’s go-ahead run in the 6th, and both offenses went silent after that.

Michael Wacha got the start for the Royals, going just 5 1/3 innings while giving up one run and striking out six. He did not factor into the decision as Sam Long got the win out of the bullpen. James McArthur got the save. Ben Lively had a good outing for the Guardians, taking the loss after going six innings and giving up two earned runs.

Salvador Perez was the difference for the Royals, as he homered twice, scored three times, and finished with two RBIs. Jose Ramirez had a two-hit game for the Guardians.

Kansas City Royals vs Cleveland Guardians Prediction

Cleveland heads into today’s game at the Royals with an overall record of 51-28, which has them leading the AL Central by seven games over the Twins. The Guardians have dropped two straight games, and this comes after winning seven of their previous eight. So far, they have gone 11-7 against other AL Central teams.

At home, the Guardians are 26-9 this season, and they have gone 25-19 on the road. Cleveland has been really good as the favorite this season, putting together a mark of 35-16. As the underdog, the Guardians are 16-12 this year. Looking at their overall series record, the Guardians are 18-6-2 and have won three straight series.

When the Cleveland Guardians are on the road, they have been a solid bet against the run line, going 25-19. They have a run line record of 45-34 overall, but have been especially good against the run line as the underdog, going 20-8. Their average run margin in winning games is 3.5, while their average run margin in losing games is -2.8.

Today’s over/under line of 10 runs for the Cleveland Guardians’ game against the Kansas City Royals is the highest line they’ve seen all season. Through 73 games, the Guardians have had an average over/under line of 8 runs, and their games have averaged 8.7 runs per game. Cleveland’s over/under record for the season is 37-36, with 76 of their games having lines set below 10 runs. The under has hit in their last two games.

Triston McKenzie will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Blue Jays, where he gave up three earned runs in three innings of work. In that outing, he gave up two homers. Looking back over his last three outings, McKenzie has given up a homer in each of them. The right-hander has a record of 3-4 this season and an ERA of 4.66. Opponents are batting .221 off McKenzie this season. So far, he has made 15 starts, three of which were quality starts. McKenzie’s ERA at home is 5.9 compared to 5.06 on the road.

Jose Ramirez has been one of the league’s top run producers this season, as his 72 RBIs are 2nd in the MLB and tops on the Guardians. He is also 4th in the league with 21 home runs. Ramirez has been hot of late, going 8/22 in his last five games with two homers and five runs scored. Josh Naylor is also a big power threat in the lineup, as he has gone deep 20 times this season.

As a team, the Guardians are 3rd in the league in scoring at 5 runs per game. They have been especially good at home, averaging 5.2 runs per contest. Overall, they are 7th in home runs and have the 11th best team batting average in the league. Cleveland is also one of the league’s toughest teams to strike out.

Kansas City is 45-38 overall and trails the Guardians by eight games in the AL Central. The Royals are 14-9 against other teams in the division. They have won two straight games, and their series lead over the Guardians is 1-0.

At home, the Royals are 28-15 this season and 17-23 on the road. As the favorite, Kansas City has gone 22-12 and 23-26 as the underdog. So far, they have an even series record of 12-13-1.

Despite a run line record of 47-36, the Royals have been a better bet at home, where they are 26-17 against the run line. Their average run margin for the season is +0.6, but that number jumps to +1.2 at home. They have covered the run line in two straight games and are 30-19 against the run line as an underdog this season.

The Kansas City Royals have an over/under record of 34-46 this season, with their games averaging 8.4 runs per contest. They have had just two games this season with an over/under line of 10 runs, and their games have averaged a line of 8 runs. Their games have gone under the total in six straight contests.

Kansas City is sending right-hander Alec Marsh to the mound today vs. the Guardians. He has made 14 starts this season and has a record of 5-5 with a 4.40 ERA. Marsh’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.22. In his 14 starts, he has turned in three quality starts and is averaging 8.21 strikeouts per nine innings. The last time he pitched, Marsh took the loss, giving up three earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. Before that outing, he had given up at least four earned runs in three straight starts.

Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr. have been the Royals’ top power threats this season, as both players come into the game with 12 home runs, which is 13th in the league. Witt Jr. is batting .310 for the season and is 10th in the league with 53 RBIs. Perez is hitting .283 and is 15th in the league with 47 RBIs. Vinnie Pasquantino is also near the top of the league in RBIs, as he comes into the game with 50, but he is batting just .233 for the season.

As a team, the Royals are averaging 4.5 runs per game, and they have been a better offense at home, where they are averaging 5.2 runs per contest. Overall, they are 13th in the league in team batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage.

Our pick for today’s Guardians vs. Royals game is to take the Royals on the money line at +104. We have the Royals winning this one by a final score of 6-5. With the over/under line sitting at 10 runs, you could also look to take the over, as we have this game going over the line.

Looking at the starting pitchers, Alec Marsh of the Royals has the fourth-best chances of picking up a win compared to all other starters today. As for Triston McKenzie of the Guardians, he ranks 13th in terms of his chances of getting a win.

Kansas City Royals vs Cleveland Guardians Betting Tips

• Take the Guardians on the moneyline
• The Royals are also our pick on the run line at +1.5
• Projecting a combined 11 runs, we like the over

Kansas City Royals Injury Report

Cleveland Guardians Injury Report