The Kansas City Royals (3-7) visit the Chicago Cubs (7-2) in the first tilt of a four-game, home-and-home series Monday at Wrigley Field – first pitch is slated for 8:15 p.m. ET. We analyze the Royals-Cubs MLB betting odds and lines, with picks and best bets.
Sunday: The Royals lost 9-2 to the Chicago White Sox, suffering a third straight loss while getting swept at home. The Cubs, meanwhile, won a third in a row, squeaking by the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 in 11 innings to complete a weekend sweep.
Royals at Cubs: Projected starting pitchers
LHP Danny Duffy vs. RHP Alec Mills
Duffy this season: 0-1, 5.79 ERA (6 ER, 9 1/3 IP), 10 K in 2 starts
- Last start: No-decision, 4 ER, 5 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 8 K at Detroit Tigers Wednesday – Royals lost 5-4
- Last season: 7-6, 4.34 (63 ER, 130 2/3 IP), 115 K in 23 starts
- 2019 on road: 3-3, 4.39 ERA (26 ER, 53 1/3 IP) in 9 starts
- Career vs. Cubs: 0-0, 2.57 ERA (2 ER, 7 IP) 1 home start in 2011
Mills this season: 1-0, 3.00 (2 ER, 6 IP), 3 K in 1 start
- Last start: Win, 2 ER, 6 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K at Cincinnati Reds Tuesday – Cubs won 8-5
- Last season: 1-0, 2.75 ERA (11 ER, 36 IP) 42 K in 4 starts and 5 relief appearances
- Career at Wrigley: 1-1, 3.64 ERA (12 ER, 29 2/3 IP) in 9 games, including 4 starts
Get some action on this game or any other matchup with an MLB bet at BetMGM in NJ, IN, CO and WV. Bet now!
Royals at Cubs: Key injuries
(List of injuries around the league)
Royals
- 3B Hunter Dozier (COVID-19) out
- SS Adalberto Mondesi (quadriceps) questionable
Cubs
- 3B Kris Bryant (stomach illness) questionable
- RP Brad Wieck (hamstring) out
Also see: BaseballHQ Fantasy Baseball
Royals at Cubs: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 11 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Cubs 5, Royals 2
Moneyline (ML)
The CUBS (-149) are the STRONGEST PLAY. Not only does the pitching matchup favor Chicago over Kansas City (+135), but the Cubs have the better offense, too. Among all 30 MLB teams, they rank in the top five in runs (50), homers (15), and OBP (.343), which doesn’t bode well for a Royals staff touting a 4.45 ERA.
One thing to worry about, however, is the Cubs bullpen ranking last with an 8.07 ERA.
New to sports betting? Every $1.49 bet on the Cubs profits $1 if they win.
Run line/Against the spread (ATS)
AVOID. If I had to pick, I’d actually lean toward the Royals (+1, -115), who are 6-4 vs. the RL this season. The Cubs (-1, -106) are 4-5 vs. the RL, including back-to-back one-run wins Saturday and Sunday. I’ll PASS.
Over/Under (O/U)
The UNDER 7.5 (-110) is the play. The Cubs are 2-4 O/U at Wrigley, while the Royals are 2-5 O/U on the road.
Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.
| Johnny’s 2020 MLB record | 12-7 |
| 2020 overall record | 48-32-1 |
| Strongest plays | 25-14 |
Follow @JohnnyParlay11 on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and give us a like Facebook.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1372]