Cardinals vs. Royals Pick
Can the Kansas City Royals pick up a win over in-state foe, the St. Louis Cardinals, when the two meet up tonight at 8:15PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, St. Louis is favored on the road tonight, as the Cardinals are getting odds of -120 to win, while the Royals are listed with odds of +100 to prevail. The over/under total for the game has been set at 9 runs.
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The pitching matchup tonight has Carlos Martinez (7-9, 3.59 ERA) on the mound for the Cardinals to face Ian Kennedy (4-7, 4.60) of the Royals. Martinez has struggled lately, allowing at least three runs in six of his last eight starts. He has 151 strikeouts this year with 54 walks and a 1.21 WHIP. Kennedy has also been struggling. He has given up at least three runs in three of his last five starts. Kennedy has 92 strikeouts in 2017 with 42 walks and a 1.21 WHIP.
The Cardinals ended their weekend with a pair of wins over the Reds. St. Louis now sits 55-56 overall and 24-30 on the road. The Cards average 4.47 runs per game while allowing 4.16 per contest. St. Louis is being led by Yadier Molina, who has 12 home runs and 47 RBI. Matt Carpenter is adding 25 doubles, 14 home runs and 50 RBI.
The Royals salvaged a split at home with the Mariners this weekend, but they are just 2-5 in their last seven games. KC is now 57-53 overall and 32-25 at home. Kansas City is scoring 4.37 runs per game while allowing 4.43 per contest. The team lost Salvador Perez to an intercostal strain. He could be out for many weeks. He has 21 home runs and 65 RBI this season. Mike Moustakas has 31 home runs and 72 RBI to lead the team while Eric Hosmer is adding 17 home runs, 22 doubles and 60 RBI.
Martinez hasn’t been good lately and I think he will continue to struggle tonight on the road. While the Royals are without a big bat, they still do a good job of manufacturing runs with their ability to steal bases. Kennedy hasn’t been reliable but, this St. Louis batting order shouldn’t put much fear into him. I am going to go with the home underdog in this close contest.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: KANSAS CITY ROYALS +100