The Kansas City Royals (72-58) travel to face off against the Cleveland Guardians (75-55) on Monday, August 26th. This game will be played at Progressive Field in Cleveland and televised on BSGL. The Guardians are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Royals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Phillies. First pitch is set for 12:10 CT.

Royals vs. Guardians Betting Prediction

• Money Line Prediction: Guardians (+102)
• Over/Under Prediction: Over 8.5 Runs

• Guardians have scored an average of 5.2 runs per game in their last 5 home games.
• Guardians have won 4 out of their last 5 home games.
• Guardians have a 2-game winning streak.
• Guardians have outscored their opponents by 13 runs in their last 2 home games.
• Guardians have a better overall home record (40-21) compared to the Royals’ away record (31-30).

Royals vs Guardians

The Guardians Took The Last Game Of This Series

To close out their series vs. the Phillies, the Royals took an 11-3 loss. Leading up to the game, the Royals were the slight favorite at -140 on the money line. It was a five-run 3rd inning by the Phillies that really turned things in their favor, and the Royals could only score three runs, all of which came in the 3rd.

Seth Lugo had a rough outing, giving up 11 hits and five earned runs in just 5 1/3 innings of work. The Royals’s offense was carried by MJ Melendez, who went 2/3 with a homer and three RBIs.

As the road favorite, the Royals have a 15-9 record this season, and they are 42-25 overall as the favorite. Kansas City is 72-58 on the season, which puts them three games behind the Guardians in the AL Central. They have a 26-13 record in divisional games.

On the run line, the Royals have a 73-57 record, including a 34-27 mark on the road. Their games have averaged 9.0 runs per game this season, and the over has hit in 60 of their 126 games. The over/under line for today’s game is set at 8.5 runs, and the over has hit in 14 of the 37 games with that total, with an average of 9.1 runs per game.

Cole Ragans Gets The Start For The Royals

Kansas City is sending left-hander Cole Ragans to the mound today vs. the Guardians. He has made 26 starts this year and has a record of 10-8 with a 3.31 ERA. Ragans’ WHIP for the season is currently 1.15, and he has turned in 17 quality starts. Ragans’ last outing came vs. the Angels, where he took the loss, giving up four earned runs in five innings of work. Before that, he had won three straight starts. So far, he has been much better on the road, coming in with a 2.73 ERA compared to 5.64 at home.

Royals Offense Breakdown

Heading into the game, the Royals are averaging 4.8 runs per game, which is 8th in the league. They have been even better at home, putting up 5.2 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .257, which is 5th in the league, and have the 2nd fewest strikeouts in the league. The Royals have been very good at avoiding strikeouts but are just 25th in the league in walks.

Over the past seven games, MJ Melendez has gone 6/17 with two homers and three RBIs. Michael Massey is also swinging a hot bat, going 9/20 in his last six games. Massey is also on a three-game hitting streak. For the season, Bobby Witt Jr. is batting .347 with 26 homers, and Vinnie Pasquantino has gone deep 18 times while batting .266.

The Guardians Are Coming Off A Win

The Guardians’s offense was carried by Jhonkensy Noel in their most recent game vs. the Rangers, a 4-2 win. Noel went only 3 innings, but the Guardians scored all four of their runs in the 3rd. He also picked up the win, going six innings and giving up just one earned run, and striking out four.

Matthew Boyd started for the Guardians, going six innings and giving up just one earned run, and picking up the win. Cleveland’s bullpen closed things out with Emmanuel Clase picking up the save and striking out the side in the 9th.

As the underdog, the Guardians are 23-28 this season, while they have a 52-27 record as the favorite. Cleveland’s overall series record is 24-13-4, and they are 5-6 as the home underdog. The Guardians have a three-game lead over the Royals in the AL Central, heading into their series.

At home, the Guardians are 40-21 straight up and 29-32 against the run line. Their games have averaged 8.5 runs per game this season, resulting in a 62-59 over/under record. Cleveland’s average run margin in winning games is 3.4, and it’s -3.2 in their losses.

Nick Sandlin Gets The Start For The Guardians

Cleveland is starting Nick Sandlin today, and he has made 56 appearances out of the bullpen this season. Sandlin’s record is 7-0, and he has an ERA of 3.88. This year, he has a WHIP of 1.17 and is averaging 10.29 strikeouts per nine innings. Sandlin most recently pitched on August 22nd, where he went two-thirds of an inning, giving up two earned runs on one hit. Before that outing, he had three straight appearances where he didn’t give up a run. Sandlin has finished with a no-decision in each of his last three outings.

Guardians Offense Breakdown

Jose Ramirez has been a consistent threat for the Guardians this season, batting .274 with 33 homers and 103 RBIs, which is 2nd in the league. Josh Naylor has also been a good power threat for the team, as his 28 homers is 2nd on the team and 8th in the league. Naylor is batting just .236 this season.

Over the last eight games, Jhonkensy Noel has been swinging a hot bat for the Guardians, going 8/25 with three homers and six RBIs. During this stretch, he has scored eight runs. As a team, the Guardians are averaging 4.6 runs per game and are 13th in the league in scoring.

Royals vs Guardians Prediction

With the Guardians at +102 on the money line, this is the best way to play this one. We have Cleveland winning this game 7-6, giving us a little bit of wiggle room with the over/under line sitting at 8.5 runs.

Looking at the starting pitchers, Cole Ragans has the third-best chance of picking up a win among today’s starters. However, his projected innings are the third lowest, and his strikeout numbers are middle of the pack. If you’re looking at team projections, the Guardians are expected to finish with 11 hits, compared to the Royals with 11.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.