The Kansas City Royals (18-41) travel to South Beach to take on the Miami Marlins (32-28) as they begin a three game series Monday night. Check out our MLB odds series as we hand out a Royals-Marlins prediction and pick while we let you know how to watch, as well.
The Royals are in last place in the AL Central division and have the second worst record in the MLB. Salvador Perez leads the Royals in hits (58), home runs (12), and RBI (33). Bobby Witt Jr. has 10 home runs and 27 RBI this season as he is the second-best hitter on the Royals. As a team, the Royals have the sixth-lowest batting average in the MLB (.232) and have scored the fourth fewest runs (229). On the mound, the Royals have the fourth-worst ERA (4.99) and are one of three teams with less than 10 saves. The Royals starting pitchers have the fewest quality starts and are the only team with less than 10 quality starts.
The Marlins are in second place in the NL East division and have won seven of their last 10 games. Luis Arraez leads the Marlins offense with a .392 batting average and a .445 OBP. Jorge Soler leads the team in home runs with 17 and RBI with 36. As a team, the Marlins do not hit for much power, but they are batting .261. On the mound, the Marlins are bottom-10 in quality starts. However, they are middle of the pack in ERA, so Miami is not pitching bad this season.
Carlos Hernandez and Braxton Garrett will take the mound for their respective teams in this game.
Here are the Royals-Marlins MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Royals-Marlins Odds
Kansas City Royals: +1.5 (-142)
Miami Marlins: -1.5 (+118)
Over: 8.5 (-104)
Under: 8.5 (-118)
How To Watch Royals vs. Marlins
TV: Bally Sports Kansas City, Bally Sports Florida
Stream: MLB TV Subscription
Time: 6:40 PM ET/3:40 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Royals Could Cover The Spread
The Royals are only using Hernandez as an opener. His longest outing this season is 2 1/3 innings. However, he is coming off a really strong month of May. His first outing in June was a tough one, but Hernandez had a 1.93 ERA in May and struck out 21 batters in 14 innings. If he can give the Royals a strong two innings to start the game, the Royals will be in good position to cover the spread.
The Royals hit about 20 points better against left-handed pitching. They are facing a lefty in this game, so Kansas City should be able to find some success. Braxton Garrett ranks below the 10th percentile in average exit velocity, hard hit percentage and xBA. He allows opposing teams to find a lot of success against him. If the Royals can wait back and drive the ball, they will cover the spread in this one.
Why The Marlins Could Cover The Spread
The Marlins have won seven of the 11 games Garrett has pitched in. He had one bad start in May, but other than that, he has been good. If you take out his May 3rd start against the Atlanta Braves, Garrett has 49 innings pitched, 44 hits allowed, 51 strikeouts to 10 walks, four home runs allowed, and an ERA of 2.57. Garrett has actually been pitching really well this season, he just has one bad start. If he can continue pitching well in this game, the Marlins will cover this spread pretty easily.
Final Royals-Marlins Prediction & Pick
Hernandez has 24 appearances this season, but the Royals are just 4-19 in games he pitches in. Miami is a good team and have been playing well. Expect the Marlins to win this game and cover the spread.
Final Royals-Marlins Prediction & Pick: Marlins -1.5 (+118), Under 8.5 (-118)
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