Cleveland Guardians vs. Kansas City Royals Handicapping Preview & Pick

The Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals will kick off their MLB seasons when they meet on Thursday, March 27 at 4:10 PM ET with the beginning of a three-game series at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. MyBookie offers the Royals as favorites with a run line at -1.5 (+165).

Cleveland Guardians Betting Preview

The Guardians went 92-69 last season and finished first in the AL Central. However, they fell short to the New York Yankees in the ALCS in five games with each game being decided by three runs or less.

The AL Central had respectable teams last year, outside of the Chicago White Sox (41-121). If the Guardians can perform better at the plate, they are likely going to take over once again and potentially go deeper in the playoffs.

Jose Ramirez led with 173 hits and 39 homers to give their offense a boost. Tanner Bibee is expected to get the start in the upcoming showdown, and he led with 187 strikeouts last season.

The Guardians’ offense thrived in a few categories like fifth in stolen bases and fourth in total strikeouts at the plate. On defense, they ranked second in hits allowed, third in earned runs, and first in saves. Again, their offense will need to do better to push them further.

Kansas City Royals Betting Preview

The Royals are back at it after an 86-76 season and finishing second in the AL Central. Their last series battle was in the ALDS against the New York Yankees where they lost three games to their one.

Kansas City was in the middle of the pack in the AL Central, as they tied for second with the Detroit Tigers. They were 6.5 games back from the Guardians and have a great opportunity this season to try and dethrone them.

Bobby Witt Jr. led with 211 hits and 32 home runs while Cole Ragans led with 223 strikeouts from the mound. Ragans will likely get the start here, which should give them an opportunity to have a good start from the mound.

The Royals had some issues on offense such as 22nd in appearances at the plate, but were stronger in other areas like third in reaching third base consistently and 10th in RBI’s. Their defense was great at times, ranking first in home runs allowed and eighth for their ERA. They have potential to turn it up a notch, but must find more consistency at the plate.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

MyBookie has provided the best Cleveland Guardians vs. Kansas City Royals betting odds, with the Royals as 1.5-run line favorites. While the Royals have a good shot of winning, a more appealing bet would be over/u see total runs. Look for this one to land for under 7.5.

Final Pick: Under 7.5 (-120)