From Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, we have the Guardians and Royals facing off in an AL Central matchup. The Guardians are currently 1st in the AL Central with a record of 52-29, while the Royals are 3rd in the division at 46-39.
Logan Allen is starting for the Guardians, while the Royals are sending Seth Lugo to the mound. Kansas City is favored on the money line, with the odds sitting at -130 compared to the Guardians at +110. The over/under line is currently at 8.5 runs.
Cleveland vs. Kansas City Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Guardians at Royals
- Where: Kauffman Stadium Kansas City
- Date: Sunday, June 30th
- Betting Odds KC -130 | CLE +110 O/U 8.5
Guardians vs Royals Last Game Recap
Cleveland cruised to a 7-2 win over the Royals in the most recent game of this series. The Guardians had a huge 5th inning, scoring all three of their runs. As for the Royals, they scored their only two runs in the 1st. Heading into the game, the Guardians were favored at -118 on the money line.
Tanner Bibee started for the Guardians and picked up the win, going six innings and giving up just two earned runs. He finished the game with three strikeouts and didn't issue a walk. On the other side, Cole Ragans got the start for the Royals and took the loss, going just 4 2/3 innings and giving up five earned runs.
Jose Ramirez and Jhonkensy Noel each homered for the Guardians, while Josh Naylor went 2/4 with two RBIs. Andres Gimenez also had a two-hit game and drove in a run.
Guardians Preview
Cleveland has a 52-29 overall record and is seven games ahead of the Twins in the AL Central. They have won three straight series and have an overall series record of 18-6-2. The Guardians are 26-20 against the run line on the road and have an average run margin of +1.3 runs per game.
For the season, the over/under record for Cleveland games is 39-36, with games averaging 8.7 runs per game. When the total is set at 8.5 runs, their O/U record is 8-11. The over has hit in two straight games, and today's total is 8.5 runs, which is lower than usual, as only 23.5% of their games have had lower totals than today's line.
Cleveland is sending Logan Allen to the mound today vs. the Royals, and he comes in with a record of 8-3 and an ERA of 5.72. So far, he has made 16 starts and five of them have been quality starts. Allen's ERA for the season is 8.17 on the road, along with a record of 5-3. At home, he is 3-0 with a 9.03 ERA. In his last outing, Allen finished with a no-decision, giving up six earned runs in three innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts.
For the season, the Guardians are averaging five runs per game, which is good for 4th in the league. They have been even better at home, averaging 5.2 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .245, which is 10th in the MLB right now. José Ramírez has been a big reason for their success on offense, as he is 3rd in the league with 23 homers and 2nd in the league with 75 RBIs. Over his last eight games, he has gone 12/34 with five homers and 10 RBIs.
Josh Naylor is also having a good season in terms of power, as he is 2nd on the team with 20 homers. However, he is batting just .239 so far this season. As a team, the Guardians have been tough to strike out, as they are 4th in the league in fewest strikeouts per game.
Royals Preview
As the favorite, the Royals have a 23-12 record and a 16-6 record at home. Overall, they are 48-37 against the run line and have a run line record of 30-20 as the underdog. Kansas City is 46-39 this season, sitting 3rd in the AL Central, eight games behind the Guardians.
This season, Royals games have averaged 8 runs, and their over/under record is 36-46. The over/under line for today's game is 8.5 runs, and their over streak is at 2 games.
Seth Lugo gets the start for the Royals today and comes in with a record of 10-2 and an ERA of 2.29. So far, he has made 17 starts, and opponents are batting .218 this season. Lugo has made 13 quality starts this year and is coming off an outing in which he didn't allow a run. Against the Marlins on June 25th, he went six innings, giving up just two hits and two walks while striking out eight. Lugo has finished with a no-decision in each of his last two outings. Before that, he had won three straight starts.
So far this season, the Royals are averaging 4.5 runs per game, which is 13th in the league. They have been a much better offensive team at home, averaging 5.2 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .244, which is 11th in the league. The Royals have been one of the better teams in terms of not striking out, and their team BABIP is 18th in the league.
Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr. have been the team's top home run hitters this season, with 13 and 12 homers, respectively. Witt Jr. comes into the game with a batting average of .307, while Perez is batting .282. Vinnie Pasquantino has three homers in his last six games and is batting .240 for the season.
Guardians vs. Royals Prediction: Royals ML -130
We are in agreement with the oddsmakers that the Royals will pick up a win in this one, and we would recommend taking them on the money line (-130) to get the best payout.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Logan Allen is projected to finish with five strikeouts compared to Seth Lugo with four. Lugo is also predicted to go one inning longer than Allen, and we have him as the seventh best starter to pick up a win.
Offensively, we have the Guardians finishing with nine hits compared to the Royals with nine. However, the Royals are projected to finish with more runs, coming in with six compared to the Guardians with five.
