Royals vs. Indians Prediction
Will the Cleveland Indians have any trouble at home when they play host to the Kansas City Royals this evening at 7:10PM ET?
915 Kansas City Royals vs. 916 Cleveland Indians
Friday, August 23, 2019
7:10PM ET – Progressive Field
Compare odds and from multiple different online sportsbooks and shop for the best lines at our new MLB Odds & Betting Page.
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers, the Indians are favored at home, as they are getting odds of -175 to win. The Royals are listed with a money line of +165 to win, while the over/under total has been set at 9 runs. The public betting for the contest currently has 87 percent going on the Indians at home. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our MLB Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Royals fall to Orioles
Kansas City is coming off a series loss at Baltimore this week and the Royals have lost six of their last eight overall. The Royals are 45-83 on the year, 21-44 on the road and 61-61 with the over/under total. KC has Jakob Junis making the start tonight. He is 8-11 on the season with a 4.78 ERA.
The Royals remain one of the weakest offenses in baseball, averaging just 4.23 runs per game while batting .243 as a team. On the mound, KC has a 5.00 team ERA with a 1.46 WHIP. Jorge Soler has been leading the team this season with25 doubles, 35 home runs and 88 RBI. Whit Merrifield is adding 33 doubles, 15 home runs, 65 RBI and 16 stolen bases.
Indians hit a rough patch
Cleveland hit a rough patch over the last week on a road trip, losing five of their last six to the Mets and Yankees. The Tribe have lost seven of their last nine overall. Cleveland is 74-54 on the season, 39-26 at home and 69-55 with the under. The Indians have Zach Plesac getting the start today. He is 6-4 on the season with a 3.53 ERA.
The Indians have one of the stronger pitching staffs in all of baseball. Cleveland posts an impressive 3.73 ERA this season with a 1.21 WHIP. At the plate, Cleveland is averaging 4.69 runs per game while batting .251 as a squad. Carlos Santana is leading the team this year with 24 doubles, 30 home runs and 79 RBI. Jose Ramirez has added 32 doubles, 20 home runs and 75 RBI.
MLB Betting Trends
Kansas City
The Royals are 4-11 in their last 15 games following a loss and 20-42 in their last 62 games against a right-handed starter.
Cleveland
The Indians have won five straight home games against a right-handed starter and 18-7 in their last 25 games following a loss.
Prediction:
Cleveland has been able to handle KC this year, winning eight of the last 10 meetings. Plesac has been pretty good this year and he has really done well against Kansas City. He has three starts against the Royals and is 2-0 with the 2.30 ERA. Junis hasn’t been awful, but has some bad starts in the mix. He has five starts against the Indians this year and is 1-3 with a 6.52 ERA. I don’t expect much better today and the Royals aren’t likely to give Junis much help at the plate.
MLB Prediction: Cleveland Indians -175