The ice-cold Kansas City Royals will try to avoid losing their sixth in a row when they play host to the St. Louis Cardinals at Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium. Fox Sports Kansas City will be televising this interleague matchup and the game is slated to get underway at 8:15 p.m. ET.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kansas City Royals Odds
Vegas has listed Kansas City (+140) as the underdog to St. Louis (-150). The total sits at 9.5 runs and bettors can wager on the over for +100 and the under for -120. Bettors can also wager on the game’s runline with the most recent odds standing at -105 for the Cardinals -1.5 runs and -115 for the Royals +1.5.
The Cardinals have gone 58-55 SU this year and are 56-59 against the spread (ATS). They’ve lost 6.7 units for moneyline gamblers and 6.0 units ATS. St. Louis is 3-4 ATS over its last seven games and the under has hit in four of those seven. The Royals, on the other hand, are 34-78 SU and 52-62 ATS. They’ve lost 28.8 units for bettors taking the moneyline and 19.3 units ATS. Kansas City has covered the spread only twice over its last seven games and the over has cashed in four of those seven.
Royals games have an over/under record of 48-59-7 in 2018. The Cardinals have an over/under record of 53-57-5.
Austin Gomber is projected to start for the visiting Cardinals. Gomber (1-0, 4.10 ERA) has recorded 23 strikeouts in 26.1 innings so far. He has yet to face the Royals this year and did not record a start against them in 2017, either.
The Royals are sending righty Burch Smith (1-3, 6.41 ERA) to the mound. Smith has 59 strikeouts and 29 walks to his name, as well as a WHIP of 1.53. Smith did not pitch in the majors last season.
Kansas City’s pitchers have yielded 5.5 runs per game overall in 2018 as a unit. Its starting pitching staff has a 5.32 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 7.5 strikeouts per nine innings. The bullpen has a 5.37 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and 7.1 K/9.
The Kansas City offense is putting up 3.7 runs per contest, including 4.7 per game over its last 10 games and 3.2 per game over its last five. The team has slashed .250/.291/.343 over its last five contests and is 0-5 SU during that stretch.
Second baseman Whit Merrifield and third baseman Mike Moustakas have led the Royals’ batters this year. Merrifield is hitting .304/.372/.432 with seven home runs, 37 RBIs, 54 runs and 25 stolen bases, and Moustakas is batting .249 with 20 homers, 62 RBIs and 46 runs.
In the visiting dugout, St. Louis’ pitchers have allowed 4.3 runs per game and its starters own a 3.54 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 8.15 K/9. The bullpen has an ERA of 4.37, along with a K-per-9 of 8.36.
Cardinals hitters have slashed .249/.323/.402 on their way to 4.4 runs scored per game in 2018, including 4.2 runs per game over the team’s last 10 games and 4.0 per game over the team’s last five contests (3-2 SU).
Left fielder Marcell Ozuna and third baseman Matt Carpenter continue to lead St. Louis’ hitters. Ozuna is slashing .269/.314/.391 with 13 home runs, 59 RBIs and 44 runs scored, while Carpenter is hitting .282/.394/.590 with 29 homers, 61 RBIs and 74 runs scored.
The Cardinals have lost 5.2 units and are 40-43 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher this year. The over has hit in 35 of those games, compared to 43 that’ve gone under against y starters.
St. Louis Cardinals at Kansas City Royals Free Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Cardinals, ATS Winner – Cardinals, O/U – OVER
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Notes
Betting Trends
The over has cashed in only two of St. Louis’ last seven games.
The Cardinals have hit eight home runs in their last 10 games. The Royals have hit 13 over their last 10.
Kansas City has recorded 22.3 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 contests and 20.4 over its last five.
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