David Richard-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA
Kansas City Royals vs Cleveland Guardians: A battle for the top seed in the AL Central
The Kansas City Royals and the Cleveland Guardians are meeting toiday at Progressive Field.
The Royals are almost there
The Kansas City Royals are second in the AL Central with a 74-58 record, including 33-30 on the road. They have won 4 of their last 6 games overall, including the last two against the Guardians. Kansas City has a 3.88 ERA, a .244 batting average, a .312 on-base percentage, and 1.27 walks plus hits per inning pitched. Bobby Witt Jr. is the best player on the team with 182 hits, 113 runs, and 27 home runs.
The Guardians are struggling lately
The Cleveland Guardians are on top of the AL Central with a 75-57 record, including 40-23 at home. They have lost 5 of their last 7 games. The Guardians have a 3.82 ERA, a .231 batting average, a .304 on-base percentage, and 1.22 walks plus hits per inning pitched. Jose Ramirez is the best player on the team with 133 hits, 93 runs and 32 home runs.
Betting Trends
This season, the Guardians have won 53 out of the 80 games in which they’ve been favored. Cleveland has entered 33 games this season favored by -142 or more and is 21-12 in those contests. Games involving Cleveland have gone over the total set by sportsbooks in 62 of 131 chances this season. The Guardians have an ATS record of 66-64 130 games with a spread this season. The Royals have come away with 29 wins in the 63 contests they have been listed as the underdogs in this season. Kansas City has come away with a win eight times in 24 chances when named as an underdog of at least +120 or longer on the moneyline. Kansas City’s games have gone over the total in 60 of its 131 opportunities. The Royals have posted a record of 72-59 against the spread this season.
Prediction and Conclusion
This series is as hot as it can be at this part of the season. The teams are separated by only one game in the battle for the top seed in the AL Central, with the Guardians holding that spot at the moment. Cleveland has had one of the best home records in the entire league this season, but the Royals managed to win both games yesterday. The Guardians need to bounce back if they want to keep the leading spot, but they will go with Gavin Williams, who has not been among their best options this season. The 25-year-old pitcher is only 2-6 for the season, with a 5.13 ERA, 52 K, 47.1 IP, and 1.46 WHIP. The Royals will go with Michael Lorenzen, who is 7-6 for the season with a 3.47 ERA, 91 K, 124.1 IP, and 1.25 WHIP. Given these numbers and the current form of both teams, we go with the Royals to win this one as well.
