The Cleveland Guardians (80-59) travel to face off against the Kansas City Royals (75-65) on Wednesday, September 4th. This game will be played at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City and televised on BSKC. 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 Guardians. First pitch is set for 6:40 CT.

Guardians vs. Royals Betting Prediction

• Money Line Prediction: Royals (-138)
• Over/Under Prediction: Over 8.5 Runs

• The Royals have a 4-2 record against the Guardians in their last 6 head-to-head games.
• The Royals have scored an average of 5.2 runs per game in their last 5 home games.
• The Royals have won 3 out of their last 4 home games.
• The Royals have a higher home win percentage (.577) compared to the Guardians’ away win percentage (.521).
• The Royals have scored 6 or more runs in 4 of their last 6 games against the Guardians.

Guardians vs Royals

Cleveland cruised to a 7-1 win over the Royals in the most recent game of this series. The Guardians had a huge 2nd inning, scoring seven of their eight runs. As for the Royals, they scored their only run in the 5th. Heading into the game, the Guardians were favored at -133 on the money line.

Tanner Bibee only went six innings for the Guardians but gave up just one run and two hits. He finished the game with six strikeouts and picked up a win. On the other side, Brady Singer was tagged for two homers and five runs in 5 2/3 innings of work.

At the plate, the Guardians were led by Brayan Rocchio and Kyle Manzardo, who each had three hits and combined for five RBIs. Rocchio, Steven Kwan, and Will Brennan each scored two runs for Cleveland’s offense.

Currently on a three-game winning streak, Cleveland leads the AL Central with an 80-59 record, putting them 4.5 games ahead of the Twins. The Guardians have a 25-13-5 series record and are 70-69 against the run line this season.

When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, Cleveland has a 20-17 O/U record. This season, 27 of their games have had the total set at 8.5 runs, making up 19.4% of their games, while 54.0% of their games have had lower totals.

Ben Lively Gets The Start For The Guardians

Right-hander Ben Lively is getting the start for the Guardians today as he faces the Royals on the road. He has made 24 starts this season and has a record of 11-8 with a 3.92 ERA. Lively’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.23, and he has turned in nine quality starts. In his last outing, Lively finished with a no-decision, giving up six earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Lively’s ERA at home is 4.29, compared to 4.03 on the road.

Guardians Offense Breakdown

Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor have been the Guardians’ top power threats this season, with Ramirez’s 34 homers leading the team and Naylor right behind him with 29. Ramirez’s 105 RBIs are also the best mark on the team and 2nd in the MLB. Naylor has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 12/28 in his last seven games with eight RBIs. Ramirez is hitting .273 for the season, and Naylor is batting .245.

As a team, the Guardians are averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 13th in the league. They have been a better offensive team at home, averaging 4.9 runs per contest. Overall, they are batting .239, which is 16th in the league, and are 11th in home runs. Cleveland comes into the game with a team batting average of .500 over their last seven games.

Today, the Royals are looking to end a seven-game losing streak and close the 5.5-game gap between them and the Guardians, who lead the AL Central. Kansas City’s overall series record is 19-22-2, and they are 3-7 in their last 10 games.

On the run line, the Royals have a 76-64 record this season, including a 41-30 mark as underdogs. Their games have averaged 8.9 runs, resulting in a 64-71 over/under record. When the over/under line is 8.5 runs, their O/U record is 15-23, with 35% of their games having total lines of 8.5 runs or higher.

Seth Lugo Gets The Start For The Royals

Seth Lugo gets the start for the Royals today and comes into the game with a record of 14-8 and an ERA of 3.12. So far this season, he has made 28 starts, and opponents are batting .229 off the right-hander. Lugo’s most recent outing came on August 30th, where he finished with a no-decision, going seven innings and giving up one earned run on six hits. Before that, he had given up at least five earned runs in three straight starts. Lugo has one complete game and 19 quality starts this season.

Royals Offense Breakdown

One of the Royals’ biggest strengths this season has been their ability to avoid strikeouts, as they have the 2nd fewest strikeouts in the league. This has helped them post a team batting average of .253, which is 7th best in the league. Overall, they are averaging 4.8 runs per game (10th) and have been even better at home, putting up 5.1 runs per contest.

Over his last nine games, Bobby Witt Jr. has hit just .235, but he has gone deep four times during that stretch. For the season, he is batting .340 and leads the team with 97 RBIs. His 30 homers is also the best mark on the team and 8th best in the league. Salvador Perez is also near the top of the league in home runs, as he has gone deep 25 times this season.

Guardians vs Royals Prediction

Based on the money line, we have the Royals coming out on top of the Guardians by a score of 7-6. With the payout for a Royals win sitting at -138, this is the best way to go about playing this game.

Looking at the starting pitchers, Seth Lugo is projected to pick up five strikeouts, which is good for third worst among today’s starters. As for Ben Lively, he is projected to finish with five, which is fourth worst.

---

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

---

* 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.