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The Royals and Guardians meet for Game 2 of the final series of the regular season! It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Royals-Guardians prediction and pick.
The Royals are (65-95) and will likely finish last in the AL Central Division unless they win this game and the last one tomorrow. They would then need the Detroit Tigers to lose two of their final three games against the Seattle Mariners. It's been a tough season for Kansas City as the fans are all now focused on watching the Chiefs continue their dominance.
The Guardians are the AL Central champs and deservedly so after an incredible second half of the season. Many players stepped up and the Guardians kept winning while the rest of the division started losing. Cleveland is (90-70) and hopes they get through these next two games injury free.
Here are the Royals-Guardians MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Royals-Guardians Odds
Kansas City Royals: +1.5 (-146)
Cleveland Guardians: -1.5 (+122)
Over: 7 (-120)
Under: 7 (+102)
Why The Royals Could Cover The Spread
Starting for the Royals tonight is lefty Daniel Lynch. Lynch is (4-12) with a 4.96 ERA in 127 innings on the season. The 25-year-old did not have the best season but there is still a lot to like about the young lefty. If he can finish the season strong, then that is something to look forward to for next season. Lynch has 120 strikeouts on the year which is tied for 85th among starters. 76 of his K's are on the road and three of his four wins are also on the road. He seems to elevate his game a little away from KC which is a good sign for tonight.
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Salvador Perez is day-to-day with a thumb injury and didn't play the past few days. He is the best hitter in this lineup and is crucial to their success with a 2.7 WAR. He's only appeared in 114 games so he has missed time with an injury before. If he returns tonight then the Royals will have a much better shot at covering this spread. KC did win 5-2 last night and scored three runs in the top half of the ninth.
Why The Guardians Could Cover The Spread
Starting for the Guardians tonight is right-hander Cal Quantrill. Quantrill is having a phenomenal season with a (14-5) record and 3.42 ERA in 181.1 innings. He is (8-0) at home with a 3.35 ERA and 70 strikeouts so he definitely shows up at Progressive Field. The former San Diego Padre came over in the Mike Clevinger deal and has shown to be one of the top guys in this rotation. He is lineup up to likely pitch in Game 3 of the AL Wild Card round if needed. This should be a good final test for Quantrill as he gets ready to pitch this weekend in a crucial series against either the Mariners or Tampa Bay Rays.
Cleveland certainly has an offense that is capable of making a lot of noise. It's clearly led by Jose Ramirez who would be in the MVP conversation if Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani didn't exist. Ramirez is batting .275 with 29 home runs and 122 RBIs. He's third in the MLB in RBIs and is 14th in OPS at .862. He already has four hits and three RBIs in this series so expect him to continue to smash as he is the DH in the lineup.
Stevan Kwan is the current AL Rookie of the Month of September and has shown to be one of the best young hitters in the game. Emmanuel Clase is also the AL Reliever of the Month of September. This team is hot at the right time.
Final Royals-Guardians Prediction & Pick
The Guardians are coming off of a loss and they know they need to keep their foot on the gas as they play Friday night for the AL Wild Card. Take Cleveland to cover this spread with Quantrill on the bump. I also like the over at 7 as I expect both teams to get some runs on the board.
Final Royals-Guardians Prediction & Pick: Guardians -1.5 (+122); Over 7 (-120)
