Chicago Cubs at Kansas City Royals 8/6/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Monday, August 6, 2018

Kauffman Stadium

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Cole Hamels vs. Jakob Junis

The Chicago Cubs visit Kauffman Stadium on Monday, August 6, 2018 to play the Kansas City Royals. The probable starters are Cole Hamels for the Cubs and Jakob Junis for the Royals.

The opening line for this matchup has Chicago at -220 and Kansas City at +203. The Cubs have a 52-56-2 over/under record and a 57-53-0 run line mark. The Royals are 46-64-0 against the run line and have a 47-57-6 over/under record.

Valuable Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 52-56-2 against the over/under

The Chicago Cubs are 57-53-0 against the run line

Important Kansas City Royals Betting Trends

The Kansas City Royals are 47-57-6 against the over/under

The Kansas City Royals are 46-64-0 against the run line

Key Chicago Cubs Injuries

08/03/18 P Brian Duensing Shoulder 10-day DL (08/03)
07/26/18 3B Kris Bryant Shoulder 10-day DL (07/24)
07/21/18 P Anthony Bass Back 10-day DL (07/21)
07/19/18 P Brandon Morrow Biceps 10-day DL (07/18)
06/27/18 P Justin Hancock Shoulder 60-day DL (06/26)
06/24/18 P Rob Zastryzny Back 10-day DL (06/24)
05/26/18 P Yu Darvish Triceps 10-day DL (05/23)
03/26/18 P Drew Smyly Elbow 60-day DL (02/16)

Key Kansas City Royals Injuries

08/01/18 RF Brian Goodwin Groin 10-day DL (07/29)
07/31/18 3B Cheslor Cuthbert Back 60-day DL (05/16)
07/11/18 P Ian Kennedy Oblique 10-day DL (07/11)
07/06/18 P Blaine Boyer Back 60-day DL (05/29)
06/27/18 P Justin Grimm Shoulder 10-day DL (06/24)
06/17/18 LF Jorge Soler Foot 10-day DL (06/16)
05/27/18 P Eric Skoglund Arm 60-day DL (05/26)
03/30/18 P Nathan Karns Elbow 60-day DL (03/26)
03/26/18 CF Bubba Starling Oblique 10-day DL (03/26)
03/26/18 P Jesse Hahn Elbow 60-day DL (03/06)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Cubs have a 64-46 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Cole Hamels has a 6-9 record with an earned run average of 4.53 and a WHIP of 1.36 this season. He has 123 strikeouts over his 119.1 innings pitched and he's given up 118 hits. He's allowed 8.9 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 5.04. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.27 and they have given up 336 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .221 against the bullpen and they've struck out 398 hitters and walked 192 batters. As a team, Chicago allows 7.9 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.1 batters per nine innings. They are 6th in the league in team earned run average at 3.76. The Cubs pitchers collectively have given up 881 base hits and 418 earned runs. They have allowed 115 home runs this season, ranking them 23rd in the league. Chicago as a pitching staff has walked 461 batters and struck out 901. They have walked 4.2 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.1 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.34 and their FIP as a unit is 4.36.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Chicago is hitting .266, good for 2nd in the league. The Cubs hold a .425 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .345, which is good for 1st in baseball. They rank 2nd in MLB with 9.3 hits per game. Kyle Schwarber is hitting .250 with an on-base percentage of .369. He has 78 hits this season in 312 at bats with 48 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .487 and an OPS+ of 123. Willson Contreras is hitting .278 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .369. He has totaled 94 hits and he has driven in 40 men in 338 at bats. His OPS+ is 115 while his slugging percentage is at .450. The Cubs have 1,021 hits, including 208 doubles and 118 home runs. Chicago has walked 423 times so far this season and they have struck out 916 times as a unit. They have left 866 men on base and have a team OPS of .770. They score 5.01 runs per contest and have scored a total of 551 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Kansas City has a 34-76 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 5.12, Jakob Junis has a 6-11 record and a 1.35 WHIP. He has 106 strikeouts over the 116 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 122 hits. He's allowing 9.5 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 5.41. The bullpen has an earned run average of 5.41 and they have given up 401 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .276 against the Royals bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 291 batters and walked 169 opposing hitters. As a team, Kansas City allows 9.9 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.3 batters per nine innings. They are 30th in the league in team earned run average at 5.35. The Royals pitchers as a team have surrendered 1,065 base knocks and 577 earned runs this season. They have given up 149 home runs this year, which ranks 3rd in Major League Baseball. Kansas City as a staff has walked 396 hitters and struck out 787 batters. They give up a walk 3.7 times per 9 innings while they strike out 7.3 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.51 while their FIP as a staff is 4.87.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .240, good for 25th in the league. The Royals hold a .373 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .301, which is good for 27th in baseball. They rank 25th in MLB with 8.2 hits per contest. Whit Merrifield comes into this matchup batting .301 with an OBP of .370. He has 125 hits this year along with 35 RBI in 415 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .424 with an OPS+ of 119. Salvador Perez is hitting .232 this season and he has an OBP of .271. He has collected 81 hits in 349 at bats while driving in 55 runs. He has an OPS+ of 90 and a slugging percentage of .436. The Royals as a unit have 900 base hits, including 186 doubles and 95 homers. Kansas City has walked 284 times this year and they have struck out on 867 occasions. They have had 736 men left on base and have an OPS of .674. They have scored 3.71 runs per game and totaled 408 runs this season.

Who will win tonight's Cubs/Royals MLB game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Cubs -220

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Josh Schonwald