At 8:10 PM ET, the Cubs and Royals will square off in an interleague matchup. This one is being played at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, and the forecast calls for scattered clouds and temperatures in the upper 80s. Kyle Hendricks is starting for the Cubs, and he will be facing off against Brady Singer. The Royals are favored on the money line, with their odds sitting at -145 compared to the Cubs at +123. This game can be seen on TV on BSKC.
Chicago comes in with a record of 49-55 and they are 5th in the NL Central, while the Royals are 3rd in the AL Central with an overall record of 56-47. The over/under line for Friday's game is at 9 runs, and the Cubs are looking to snap a two-game losing streak.
Chicago vs. Kansas City Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Cubs at Royals
- Where: Kauffman Stadium Kansas City
- Date: Friday, July 26th
- Betting Odds KC -145 | CHC +123 O/U 9
Cubs Preview
Chicago is coming off a game in which they wasted several good performances. In their 3-2 loss to the Brewers, Justin Steele was solid on the mound, allowing just two runs on six hits and striking out four. However, the Cubs couldn't get the win, and Héctor Neris took the loss out of the bullpen. The Cubs were also leading 2-1 going into the 9th inning before the Brewers scored a run in the top of the 9th to pick up the win.
Seiya Suzuki had a big game at the plate, going 2/4 with a homer and scoring both of the Cubs' runs. The Cubs also wasted a good game from Rafael Ortega, who went 3/4 with a double.
Chicago is 49-55 overall and 5th in the NL Central, 11 games behind the Brewers. They have struggled as underdogs this season, going 16-24, but are 37-19 against the run line in that role. The Cubs' games have averaged 8.2 runs per game, and their over/under record is 43-57. The under has hit in their last 6 games, and their O/U record when the total is 9 runs is 4-6-2.
Kyle Hendricks gets the start for the Cubs today as he faces the Royals on the road. He has made 13 starts this season and has a record of 2-8. Hendricks' ERA is currently 6.69, and he has a WHIP of 1.49. Opponents have put together a batting average of .288 this season. In his 18 appearances, Hendricks has turned in just two quality starts. Looking back at his last outing, he took the loss, giving up three earned runs in five innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts.
Christopher Morel comes into today's game as the Cubs' leader in home runs, but he is batting just .199 for the season and has gone 5/25 over his last seven games. Ian Happ is the team's leader in RBIs (60) and has 16 homers, but he is also batting just .237 for the season and has gone 5/29 over his last eight games. Nico Hoerner has been swinging a better bat of late, going 10/36 in his last eight games and is batting .257 for the season.
As a team, the Cubs are 24th in scoring at 4.1 runs per game. They are also near the bottom of the league in most offensive categories, including team batting average and slugging percentage. So far, they are averaging 4.0 runs per game at home and 4.2 on the road.
Royals Preview
Led by a big game by Vinnie Pasquantino at the plate, the Royals are coming off a game in which they scored six runs on 12 hits. Pasquantino went 3/4 with two RBIs and a run scored. The Royals really broke things open with a three-run 4th inning but couldnjson't hold the lead, and the Diamondbacks scored five runs in the top of the 9th to steal the win from the Royals. Kansas City was the -127 favorite at home going into the game.
Michael Wacha got the start for the Royals and took the loss. He only lasted 4 2/3 innings, giving up three earned runs on six hits. The Royals also used James McArthur out of the bullpen, and he took the loss. McArthur only recorded one out and gave up five earned runs.
As the favorite, the Royals have a 30-17 straight-up record and a 21-9 record vs. the run line at home. Their games have averaged 8.5 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 42-58. Kansas City has an overall series record of 15-17-1 this season.
Kansas City is 35-20 at home this season and 21-27 on the road. They are currently 3rd in the AL Central, 5.5 games behind the Guardians. The Royals have a 19-10 record in divisional games so far this season.
Brady Singer will be looking to build off his last outing, where he didn't give up a run. Against the White Sox on July 20th, he pitched seven innings, picking up the win in the process. Looking at his overall numbers, Singer has made 20 starts and has a record of 6-6. His ERA for the season is 3.00, along with a WHIP of 1.22. Opposing batters are hitting .235 this season off Singer. The right-hander has turned in eight quality starts this year and is averaging 8.59 strikeouts per nine innings. For the season, Singer has given up 13 homers and is averaging 2.76 walks per nine innings.
So far this season, the Royals are averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 11th in the league. They have been a better offensive team at home, averaging 5.2 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .250, which is 8th in the league, and have the fewest strikeouts in the league. Kansas City's team on-base percentage is just 15th in the league, and their collective slugging percentage is 9th.
Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez have been two of the league's top power hitters this season, as they both have 18 homers, which is 11th in the league. Witt Jr. comes into the game on a seven-game hitting streak and has gone 21/39 in his last 10 games. For the season, he is batting .344, and Perez is hitting .278. Perez has also gone deep three times in his last 10 games, going 10/37 in that stretch.
Cubs vs. Royals Prediction: Royals ML -145
Our predicted final score for this one is a 6-5 win for the Royals, and with them sitting at -145 on the money line, we see this as a great payout. Looking at the starting pitchers, Brady Singer is projected to finish with five strikeouts, compared to Kyle Hendricks, who we have finishing with four.
Offensively, we have the Cubs finishing with nine hits, compared to the Royals with nine. However, the Cubs are projected to finish with more strikeouts, and the Royals are actually predicted to finish with fewer strikeouts than all other teams in action today.
