Kansas City Royals vs Cleveland Guardians Preview
Both the Guardians and Royals will be looking to pick up a win in Monday’s AL Central matchup. This one is getting started at 4:10 PM ET from Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. The Guardians are leading the AL Central with a record of 78-59, while the Royals are 2nd in the division at 75-63.
Kansas City is currently favored on the money line, with the odds sitting at -114 compared to the Guardians at -105. The over/under line is at 8.5 runs, and BSKC is carrying the game on TV.
Check out BetCoco for Kansas City Royals – Cleveland Guardians odds
Kansas City Royals vs. Cleveland Guardians Trends and Key Stats
- Across their last five road games, the Guardians are 1-4. This includes going 2-3 vs. the runline.
- The Royals, on the other hand, have played five home games recently, during which they have recorded a 0-5 (SU) and 1-4 record.
- In their previous ten games, Guardians have won 5-5 as favorites and 2-8 as underdogs.
- The Royals hold a 8-2 record as the favorite and a 4-6 record as the underdog.
Kansas City Royals vs Cleveland Guardians Prediction
Kyle Manzardo had a big game for the Guardians in their most recent win over the Pirates, going 2/3 with two homers and two RBIs. The Guardians really broke things open with a four-run 1st inning and added another two runs in the 4th. Cleveland’s offense was the big story, but Alex Cobb also had a good start, going six innings and not giving up a run.
The Guardians are also known as the Cleveland Indians, but they changed their name to the Guardians before the start of the 2022 season. Cleveland’s offense was carried by Kyle Manzardo, who went 2/3 with two homers and two RBIs. The Guardians also had three other players with two hits.
Cleveland is 78-59 overall this season, putting them in 1st place in the AL Central. They lead the Twins by 3.5 games and are 22-20 in divisional matchups. The Guardians took their series vs. the Pirates, winning two of three games.
On the road, the Guardians are 35-34 compared to going 43-25 at home. As the underdog, the Guardians have dropped three straight, and they are 23-29 as the underdog overall. When favored, Cleveland has gone 55-30 this year, and their overall series record is 25-13-5.
The Guardians have been a solid bet against the run line this season, going 68-69 overall. They have been slightly better on the road, going 35-34, but they have failed to cover in their last two road games. They have been a better bet as an underdog, going 30-22, compared to 38-47 as a favorite. The Guardians’ average run differential is +0.5 runs per game.
Today’s over/under line of 8.5 runs for the Cleveland Guardians’ game against the Kansas City Royals is just above their average combined run average of 8.6 runs per game this season. The Guardians have played 37 games with over/under lines set at 8.5 runs this season, going 20-17 in those contests. Overall, 65 of their 128 games have gone over the total this season, and they are currently on a two-game under streak.
Cleveland is sending Gavin Williams to the mound today vs. the Royals, and he comes in with a record of 2-7 and an ERA of 4.99. Williams has made 11 starts this year and has a WHIP of 1.41. Opponents are batting .251 off the right-hander this year. Williams has turned in just two quality starts this year, and his ERA at home is 8.04 compared to 3.46 on the road. In his last outing, he gave up two earned runs in five innings of work vs. the Royals. He took the loss in that outing. Before that, he had lost three straight starts.
Heading into today’s game, the Guardians are 14th in the league in scoring, averaging 4.6 runs per contest. At home, they have been even better, putting up 4.9 runs per game, which is the 6th best mark in the league. As a team, they are batting just .239, which is below the league average, but they do have the 10th most home runs in the league.
Josh Naylor has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 10/27 in his last seven games with seven RBIs. He also comes into the game on a four-game hitting streak. Naylor is 2nd on the team with 28 homers. José Ramírez has been the team’s top power threat, as his 34 homers is 5th best in the league and tops on the team. He also has 105 RBIs, which is 2nd in the league.
To close out their series vs. the Astros, the Royals fell by a score of 7-2. Kansas City was the +134 underdog going into this road matchup. Things started off well for the Royals, as they got on the board with a run in the 1st inning but gave up the lead right away as the Astros scored three times in the bottom of the first.
Alec Marsh got the start for the Royals and took the loss. He only lasted five innings, giving up three earned runs on four hits. Bobby Witt Jr. had a rough outing, going 1/4 with a homer and scoring only one run. The Royals also issued three walks in the 8th inning, which led to three more runs for the Astros.
Kansas City is 75-63 overall and trail the Guardians by 3.5 games in the AL Central. The Royals will host the Guardians today with a 29-14 record against other teams in the division. They head into today’s game having lost five straight, with their last loss coming in the final game of their series vs. the Astros.
At home, the Royals are 41-28 this year but have dropped two straight at home. Their overall record as the favorite is 43-25, and they are 32-38 as the underdog. So far, their series record is 19-22-2.
When the Royals win, they tend to win big, as their average run margin in victories is 4.1. However, when they lose, it’s usually by a narrow margin, as their average run differential in losses is -3.3. For the season, Kansas City has a run line record of 76-62, with a run line record of 39-30 at home and 37-32 on the road.
Today’s over/under line of 8.5 runs for the Kansas City Royals’ game against the Cleveland Guardians is slightly higher than their season average of 8.0 runs per game. The Royals have played 49 games with over/under lines set higher than 8.5 runs, with a record of 15-23 in those games. Overall, the over/under record for Kansas City is 64-70 this season.
Michael Wacha gets the start for the Royals today and comes in with a record of 11-6 and an ERA of 3.50. He has made 24 starts this season and has turned in 13 quality starts. Wacha’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.21, and he is averaging 7.77 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, Wacha finished with a no-decision, giving up five earned runs in six innings of work. Before that, he had won three straight starts. Wacha has been much better at home, going 6-1 with a 3.80 ERA compared to 5-5 with a 3.85 ERA on the road.
So far this season, the Royals are averaging 4.8 runs per game, which is 7th in the league. At home, they have been even better, averaging 5.2 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .255, which is 6th in the league, and are also one of the top home run hitting teams in the league. Kansas City has been led by Bobby Witt Jr., who is batting .340 for the season with a league-leading 97 RBIs and 30 homers.
Witt Jr. has been on a bit of a cold streak of late, going just 5/25 in his last six games. However, he has still managed to hit three homers during that stretch. Kyle Isbel is currently on a four-game hitting streak for the Royals.
Our prediction for this Guardians vs. Royals matchup is to take the Royals on the money line at -114. We have the Royals winning this one by a final score of 7-6. With the over/under sitting at 8.5 runs, we like the over, as we have this one going over the line by 1.5 runs.
If you’re looking for a starting pitcher to have a big game, we have Gavin Williams finishing with seven strikeouts compared to Michael Wacha with five. Williams is projected to give up five earned runs compared to Wacha, who we have giving up four.
Kansas City Royals vs Cleveland Guardians Betting Tips
- Take the Royals on the moneyline
- On the run line we like the Guardians (+1.5)
- Projecting a combined 13 runs, we like the over
Kansas City Royals Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Will Smith | Out | Back |
| Michael Lorenzen | Out | Hamstring |
| Hunter Renfroe | Out | Hamstring |
| Hunter Harvey | Out | Back |
| Lucas Erceg | Questionable | Hand |
| Dan Altavilla | Out | Oblique |
| Josh Taylor | Out | Biceps |
| Kyle Wright | Out | Shoulder |
| Vinnie Pasquantino | Out | Thumb |
Cleveland Guardians Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Carlos Carrasco | Out | Hip |
| Sam Hentges | Out | Shoulder |
| Shane Bieber | Out | Elbow |
| Trevor Stephan | Out | Elbow |
| James Karinchak | Out | Shoulder |
| Tim Herrin | Probable | Arm |
