Zack Greinke gets the start for the Royals (29-73, 14-37 away) against Aaron Civale and the Guardians (49-51, 26-24 home). Today will be game two of their series, with the Royals leading 1-0. Check out who I like to see who comes out on top in today’s Kansas City Royals vs. Cleveland Guardians matchup.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS VS CLEVELAND GUARDIANS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Kansas City Royals +1.5 Runs

This game will be played at Progressive Field at 7:10 ET on Tuesday, July 25th.

WHY BET THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS:

  • Over their last three games as the favorite, the Guardians are just 1-2 against the runline.
  • The Guardians have struggled against the runline when favored of late, failing to cover in two straight times.
  • The Royals have gone 1-2 in Aaron Civale’s last five starts.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS LOOKING FOR UPSET AS ROAD UNDERDOGS

On an overall record of 29-73, the Royals are 5th in the AL Central. On the road, Kansas City has put together a record of 14-37 while going 15-36 at home. Against teams with below .500 records, the club has gone 15-15. Overall, the Royals have played in 31 series, going 4-25-2.

Today marks Zack Greinke’s 20th outing of the season, and his record is currently 1-10. His ERA is 5.40, with an opposing OBP of .312. Greinke has struck out 65 batters and holds a WHIP of 1.30. On the road, his ERA is 7.84 compared to 3.75 at home.

Zack Greinke was handed the loss in his last start against the Tigers, as he allowed two runs on four hits in a 3-0 defeat.

Having gone deep 9 times in their last five games, the Royals are 3rd in that span. At 3.7 runs per game, Kansas City is 27th in the league. This figure has come on a team batting average of .232 while hitting a total of 91 home runs (23rd).

Michael Massey has been a major contributor to the Royals’ offense over their last ten games, leading the team with three home runs. His season-long total stands at seven long balls, while his batting average is currently .213.

WILL THE CLEVELAND GUARDIANS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Heading into today’s game, the Guardians are 2nd in the AL Central with an overall record of 49-51. When looking at their performance in their 31 series, Cleveland is 14-16-1. Against below .500 teams, the Guardians are 24-24 while going 23-27 on the road and 26-24 at home.

Aaron Civale is making his 12th start of the season, boasting a 3-2 record and a stellar 2.71 ERA. He has held opponents to a .209 batting average, while on the road he is 1-1 with a 2.23 ERA and at home he is 2-1 with an ERA of 3.65. Teams have had difficulty hitting off him, as evidenced by their .331 slugging percentage against him this season.

Aaron Civale’s latest start against the Pirates resulted in a 7-5 loss for the Guardians. The right-hander went 5 1/3 innings, surrendering two runs on five hits.

For the season, the Guardians are 10th in batting average, hitting a combined .253. Over their last ten games, they have hit .269 which is 5th in that span. Cleveland’s average of 4.2 runs per game puts them 24th in the league. In terms of home runs, they have gone deep 74 times and have a team slugging percentage of .383.

David Fry has been a key contributor to the Guardians’ offensive success this season, as he leads the team with three home runs in their last five games. His batting average stands at .290, making him a reliable presence in the lineup.