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The Royals travel to Cleveland to face the Guardians! These two teams are playing well and have gotten hot in this series. This is game two of the series, having started on Friday. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Royals-Guardians prediction and pick.
Royals-Guardians Projected Starters
Michael Lorenzen vs. Luis Ortiz
Michael Lorenzen (1-1) with a 3.18 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP
Last Start: Allowed one run on five hits with zero walks and three strikeouts through six innings.
Away Splits: (0-1) 5.06 ERA
Luis Ortiz (0-2) with an 8.44 ERA and a 1.88 WHIP
Last Start: Allowed three runs on seven hits with zero walks and three strikeouts through six innings.
Here are the MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Royals-Guardians Odds
Kansas City Royals: +1.5 (-200)
Moneyline: +104
Cleveland Guardians: -1.5 (+164)
Moneyline: -122
Over: 7.5 (-118)
Under: 7.5 (-104)
How to Watch Royals vs. Guardians
Time: 6:10 pm ET/3:10 pm PT
Article Continues Below
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City/CLEG
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why The Royals Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Royals played well last season toward an 86-76 record. They started this season with a 7-6 record and have won four of their previous five games. Their bats and pitching were both top 10 units in the MLB last year. The bats have started slow this season, while the pitching is still solid. Seth Lugo, Cole Ragans, Michael Wacha, and Michael Lorenzen make up a monster pitching staff for Kansas City and have been huge this season. Their bats are also significant, led by Bobby Witt Jr., Jonathan India, Maikel Garcia, Salvador Perez, Michael Massey, Hunter Renfroe, and Vinnie Pasquantino. The Royals have the talent to have a monster season and can stay on a roll with a win in this game.
The Royals are starting Michael Lorenzen on the mound. He has a 1-1 record, a 3.18 ERA, and a 1.15 WHIP. He has allowed five runs on 10 hits with three walks and 10 strikeouts through 11.1 innings. He also has a K/BB ratio of 3.3. Lorenzen has been solid, but the Royals are only 1-1 in his two starts. Lorenzen should be able to shut down a Guardians offense that has fallen off recently. This is a matchup that favors him, even on the road.
The Royals' offense was outstanding last season but has started slowly this season. They are 20th in team batting average at .221 after finishing last season with a .248. Garcia, Pasquantino, Witt Jr., and India have been great and showcase the balance on this offense. Witt Jr. leads in batting average at .280 and in total hits with 14. Then, Garcia leads in home runs with two, Pasquantino in RBI with 10, and India in OBP with .357. This Royals' offense should be able to score on the Guardians because Ortiz has struggled a lot on the mound. This is a big matchup for Kansas City.
Why The Guardians Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Guardians were great last season and finished with a 92-69 record. They are 6-6 this season and have won three straight coming into this series. Their bats were underwhelming the previous season, but they have started the year playing very well. They had one of the best pitching staffs in the MLB last year, and they have started this year playing well in comparison. Brayan Rocchio, Carlos Santana, Lane Thomas (out with an injury), Bo Naylor, Kyle Manzardo, Jose Ramirez, and Steven Kwan have been key to their offense this year. Tanner Bibee is the best pitcher on the roster, but Ben Lively and Logan Allen have also been solid pieces. The Guardians have potential, but consistency will be a big issue.
The Guardians are starting Luis Ortiz on the mound. He has a 0-2 record, an 8.44 ERA, and a 1.88 WHIP. He has allowed 10 runs on 16 hits with four walks and five strikeouts through 10.2 innings across two games. He also had a K/BB ratio of 1.3. Ortiz has struggled through the two games he started, with both being losses. The Royals have the offense to take advantage of Ortiz on the mound completely.
The Guardians have talent behind the plate on offense, even after the offseason. They were 22nd in team batting average at .238 and have fallen to a .212 average. Steven Kwan, Kyle Manzardo, and Jose Ramirez have been extraordinary on offense despite the Guardians' overall struggles. Kwan leads in batting average at .356, in OBP at .420, and in total hits with 16. Then, Ramirez leads in home runs with four, and Manzardo in RBI with 11. Lorenzen is a bad matchup for this slumping offense and should be able to take advantage of the Guardians behind the plate.
Final Royals-Guardians Prediction & Pick
The Royals are the better team. They have the better offense and the more trustworthy pitcher with Lorenzen than Ortiz. The Royals not only cover but win outright against the Guardians.
Final Royals-Guardians Prediction & Pick: Kansas City Royals +1.5 (-200)
