The Cleveland Guardians (6-6) host the Kansas City Royals (7-6) in an AL Central collision on Friday. The Guardians head into this series on a three-game winning streak after sweeping the Chicago White Sox. Cleveland topped Chicago 6-1 to close out the series on Thursday. The Royals are coming off a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins. Kris Bubic (2-0, 0.71 ERA) starts for Kansas City. Tanner Bibee (1-1, 6.52 ERA) will be starting for Cleveland.
First pitch from the Progressive Field is set for 6:10 p.m. ET. Cleveland is a -125 favorite on the money line (risk $125 to win $100) in the latest Guardians vs. Royals odds from SportsLine consensus, while the total number of runs Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 7. Before making any Royals vs. Guardians picks, be sure to see the MLB predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times. It enters the 2025 MLB season on a 32-17 roll on top-rated run-line betting picks (+699) that dates back to 2023. Anybody following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen strong returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Royals vs. Guardians and just locked in its picks and MLB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several MLB odds and betting lines for Royals vs. Guardians:
Royals vs. Guardians money line: Cleveland -125, Kansas City +106 at FanDuel Sportsbook
Royals vs. Guardians over/under: 7 runs
Royals vs. Guardians run line: Cleveland -1.5 (+164)
Royals vs. Guardians picks: See picks at SportsLine
Royals vs. Guardians streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why the Guardians can cover
First baseman Carlos Santana is a veteran presence at the plate. Santana heads into this game hitting .267 with two dingers and four RBI. In Wednesday’s victory over the White Sox, Santana went 1-of-4 with a solo home run. In 168 career games against the Royals, he has compiled 32 home runs, 95 RBI and 96 runs scored.
Left fielder Steven Kwan has been a reliable hitter in the box for the Guardians. Kwan stays patient, leading to consistent contact. He’s hitting .356 with two home runs and seven RBI. He’s also leading the team in hits (16). In his last outing, Kwan went 4-of-5 with a homer, four RBI and two runs scored. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why the Royals can cover
Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. covers ground well as a defender and has a strong arm. He also has impressive contact skills at the plate. This season, he’s hitting .280 with one home run and five RBI. He also leads the team in hits (14). The 24-year-old has recorded a double in three straight games. In Wednesday’s contest against the Twins, Witt Jr. went 1-of-3 with a double.
Third baseman Maikel Garcia has strong pitch recognition skills that give him an advantage at the plate. Garcia has a batting average of .279 with two home runs and six RBI. He’s finished with a hit in three of his past five games. In the April 6 game against the Orioles, Garcia was 2-of-4 with two base hits and one run scored. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Royals vs. Guardians picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 9.3 combined runs, and it says one side of the money line has all the value. You can head to SportsLine to see the model’s MLB picks.
So who wins Royals vs. Guardians, and which side of the money line has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its MLB picks, and find out.
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