The Kansas City Royals are visiting the Chicago Cubs on Monday, July 21st at the Wrigley Field in the opening game of this series. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Royals vs Cubs Prediction. We will examine:
The Chicago Cubs’ recent form and player performance
The Kansas City Royals’ recent form and player performance
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Chicago Cubs
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Kansas City Royals
Recent betting trends in games played between the Kansas City Royals vs Chicago Cubs
A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the Kansas City Royals vs Chicago Cubs game
Chicago Cubs Preview
The Chicago Cubs have a 59-40 record this season and are sitting in first place in the NL Central. The Cubs have a 32-17 home record and are 48-42 in over/under. They are coming off a 1-6 home defeat by the Red Sox, which ended their previous four-game winning streak. Under is 4-1 in their last 5 games, and they are playing the White Sox and the Brewers next.
The Cubs have a .256 batting average this season, a .325 OBP, and a .447 Slugging percentage. Chicago’s pitching staff has a 3.79 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. Nico Hoerner leads the Cubs with 104 hits, and he’s the team’s best hitter with a .288 batting average. Seiya Suzuki leads the team in RBI, with 80, adding a team-high 26 home runs.
Ryan Brasier (R) is the projected starting pitcher for the Cubs, and he has a 0-0 record, 1.04 ERA, and 0.92 WHIP.
Kansas City Royals Preview
The Kansas City Royals have a 48-52 record this season and are sitting in 4th place in the AL Central. The Royals have a 24-26 road record and are 39-60 in over/under. They are coming off a 7-4 road victory over the Marlins, which ended their previous two-game losing streak. Under is 5-3 in their last 8 games, and they are playing the Guardians and the Braves next.
The Royals have a .244 batting average this season, a .299 OBP, and a .376 Slugging percentage. Kansas’ pitching staff has a 3.49 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. Bobby Witt Jr. leads the Royals with 114 hits, while Maikel Garcia is the team’s best hitter with a .292 batting average. Vinnie Pasquantino leads the team in RBI, with 57, adding a team-high 15 home runs.
Noah Cameron (L) is the projected starter for the Royals, and he has a 3-4 record, 2.31 ERA, and 1.00 WHIP.
Why the Chicago Cubs will win
- The Cubs have won each of their last eight home games against AL Central opponents following a loss.
- The Royals have lost six of their last seven games at Wrigley Field against NL Central opponents that held a winning record.
- The Cubs have covered the run line in each of their last seven games as favorites against AL Central opponents following a loss.
- The Royals have failed to cover the run line in seven of their last eight games.
- The Cubs have won the first inning in four of their last five games against American League opponents.
- The Cubs have led after 5 innings in eight of their last nine home night games.
- The Cubs have led after 3 innings in each of their last four home games.
Why the Kansas City Royals will win
- The Royals have won each of their last six night games against NL Central opponents.
- The Cubs have lost three of their last four night games against American League opponents.
- The Royals have covered the run line in 14 of their last 15 road games against NL Central opponents.
- The Cubs have failed to cover the run line each of their last four night games against teams that held a losing record.
- The Royals have led after 3 innings in eight of their last 10 road night games.
- The Royals have won the first inning in each of their last three road games against NL Central opponents.
- The Royals have led after 5 innings in each of their last four road games against NL Central opponents that held a winning record.
Total Runs Facts
- Eight of the Cubs’ last nine games against AL Central opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- Five of the Royals’ last six games after playing the previous day have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Cubs’ last 11 Monday games against AL Central opponents.
- The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in seven of the Royals’ last eight road games against NL Central opponents.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Cubs rank 1st in the league for RBIs this season (512).
- The Cubs rank 2nd in the league for runs scored this season (523).
- The Royals rank 30th in the league for walks this season (236).
- The Royals rank 29th in the league for runs scored this season (343).
Royals vs Cubs Prediction
The Cubs are 4-1 in their last 5 meetings against the Royals, but the Royals are 4-2 in their last 6 visits to Chicago. Under is 4-2 in their last 6 meetings in Chicago.
In this Royals vs Cubs Prediction, the Cubs are coming as -140 home favorites. The Cubs are rightfully favored, as they have a better overall record and have been one of the best home teams in the league. But Chicago is going for a bullpen game, and their bullpen is not better than Kansas City’s. Cameron has been lights out on the road for the Royals with a 0.93 road ERA, and has two shutouts in his last three starts. The Cubs are also significantly weaker against lefties, so there is value with the guests being road dogs as long as Cameron is on the mound. Take the Kansas City Royals by +0.5 runs in the first 5 innings of the game.