The Royals make the trip to Kansas City to face the Royals! These two teams are headed in opposite directions. The Cubs have been struggling with consistency this year, while the Royals are aiming for a wildcard spot. However, both teams are spiraling heading into this series. Our MLB odds series has our Cubs-Royals prediction, odds, and pick for Saturday.
Cubs-Royals Projected Starters
Shota Imanaga vs. Seth Lugo
Shota Imanaga (8-2) with a 2.86 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP
Last Start: Pitched seven innings and gave up one run on two hits with one walk and 10 strikeouts in a Cubs win.
2024 Road Splits: (5-1) 2.51 ERA
Seth Lugo (12-4) with a 2.38 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP
Last Start: Pitched nine innings and gave up one run on three hits with zero walks and six strikeouts in a Royals win.
2024 Home Splits: (5-2) 2.24 ERA
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Cubs-Royals Odds
Chicago Cubs: -1.5 (+168)
Moneyline: +102
Kansas City Royals: +1.5 (-205)
Moneyline: -120
Over: 8 (-110)
Under: 8 (-110)
How to Watch Cubs vs. Royals
Time: 7:10 pm ET
TV: Bally Sports Kansas City
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Cubs Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Cubs have a 49-55 record this season. They have lost two straight games entering this series. They have struggled behind the plate and have shown no signs of improvement. In comparison, their pitching has been great and is a top 10 unit. On offense, Michael Busch, Cody Bellinger, Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ, Christopher Morel, Michael Tauchman, and Dansby Swanson make up an inconsistent and struggling offense. Shota Imanaga, Javier Assad, Justin Steele, and Jameson Taillon are standouts for a pitching staff that has had to carry them at times due to how much the offense has struggled.
The Cubs are starting Shota Imanaga on the mound where he has an 8-2 record, a 2.86 ERA, and a 1.07 WHIP. He has allowed 39 runs on 94 hits with 17 walks and 108 strikeouts through 104 innings. In his 18 starts this season, the Cubs are 13-5. Imanaga has been the best pitcher for the Cubs this season, but this matchup will be difficult with how well the Royals are playing behind the plate as a team.
The Cubs' offense has been inconsistent behind the plate and has struggled at times. They are 25th in team batting average at .233 after having a .254 average one season ago. The offense is led by Cody Bellinger, Nico Hoerner, Christopher Morel, Ian Happ, and Michael Busch in most batting categories. Bellinger leads in batting average at .269, Morel leads in home runs at 18, Happ leads in RBI at 60, Busch leads in OBP at .353, and Hoerner leads in total hits at 93. They get a challenge in this matchup against Seth Lugo on the mound because he has been on Cy Young-level play this season.
Why The Royals Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Royals have played well this year on their way to a 56-47 record. They come into this matchup losing two straight games. Their bats are a top 10 unit in the MLB, which joins their top 10 pitching lineup. Seth Lugo has made a potent pitching combination with Brady Singer and Cole Ragans. Their bats have been playing well this season too. Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr. have been the main standouts for the Royals behind the plate, but Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino have also played well. The Royals have been one of the bigger surprises this season, especially after last year.
The Royals are starting Seth Lugo on the mound. He has a 12-4 record, a 2.38 ERA, and a 1.04 WHIP on the year up to this point. Through 136 innings, he has allowed 38 runs on 111 hits with 30 walks and 122 strikeouts. He has appeared in 20 games so far this season, and the Royals have gone 12-8 in those games. Lugo has been one of the best pitchers in the MLB this season after joining the Royals in the offseason. He gets a favorable matchup in this game against the Cubs due to how much they have struggled behind the plate.
The Royals' offense has been decent behind the plate this season. They are 10th in team batting average at .250 after finishing last season at .254. Their offensive output has been led mainly by Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez in almost every batting category. Witt Jr. leads in batting average at .344, in RBI at 70, in OBP at .390, and in total hits at 141. Finally, Perez and Witt are tied for the lead in home runs at 18. The Royals' offense gets a huge challenge against Imanaga on the mound. He has been great for the Cubs and is an X-factor for them.
Final Cubs-Royals Prediction & Pick
The Royals have the advantage in this game. The Royals are the much better offense behind the plate when compared to the Cubs. This will be a pitching duel between Imanaga for the Cubs and Lugo for the Royals. Lugo has been having a slightly better season, but not by much. Since this should be a pitching duel, expect the Royals to cover and win at home thanks to Lugo and the better offense.
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Final Cubs-Royals Prediction & Pick: Royals +1.5 (-168)
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