Kansas City Royals vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, 8/21/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Kansas City Royals vs Chicago Cubs

Date: Saturday, August 21, 2021

Location: Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL

TV: Marquee Sports Network

Odds/Point Spread: Kansas City (+110) Chicago (-135)

Keegan Thompson and the Chicago Cubs (54-69, 4th in NL Central) play the Kansas City Royals (52-68, 5th in AL Central) at Wrigley Field on Saturday. The Cubs open this game at -135 while the Royals are priced at +110. The total is set at 9. The men taking the mound will be Kris Bubic and Keegan Thompson.

As a squad, the Kansas City Royals are compiling 4.1 runs per game, which ranks them 25th in baseball. They have earned 489 runs scored while having a team OBP of .302. The Royals have accumulated 169 two-baggers as a team and have smacked 119 balls out of the park. They have earned 463 runs batted in and 964 hits this season, and their average at the plate is sitting at .243. Kansas City has a slugging percentage of .386 and have been called out on strikes 951 times, while being walked on 311 occasions.

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Royals pitchers have given up 147 long balls in addition to 598 total runs (22nd in baseball). They have walked 456 players from the other team and their FIP is 4.50 as a squad this season. They have earned a K/BB ratio of 2.23 and their pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.42. The Royals have compiled a team earned run average of 4.89 over the course of the season (27th in MLB), and the staff has rung up 1,019 batters.

The Royals have dispatched 411 relievers to the mound over the course of the season. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 181 base runners on the year and 29.8% of them earned a run for their team. They have tallied 27 saves on the campaign and have blown 18 of their 45 save opportunities. The Royals bullpen have earned a save rate of 60.0% and has entered the game in 104 save situations. The relievers have 59 holds on the campaign (18th in MLB). Royals bullpen pitchers have entered the game with runners on 114 times in addition to having 110 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Royals have converted 67.9% of balls in play into outs out of their 9,396 innings on the diamond, which has them ranked 28th in the majors. The Kansas City Royals have accumulated 3,132 putouts on the campaign, in addition to 1,053 assists and 65 errors. Their fielding percentage is at .985 which is 15th in MLB, and have accumulated 824 double plays.

Bubic has pitched in 136 innings and has accounted for 122 strikeouts in his career. Bubic (4-12 career win-loss record) sits with a FIP of 5.57 and he has gone up against 603 opposing hitters in the majors. His ERA is 4.81 (73 ER's allowed) and his WHIP is 1.515. He has surrendered 141 hits (9.3 hits per 9 innings) and has had 66 walks.

The Cubs hold a slugging % of .397 and they are recording 4.16 runs per game (23rd in baseball). They have 169 doubles, while taking a walk 376 times and notching 512 runs. Chicago has accounted for 153 long balls on the year as well as 487 runs batted in. They have struck out on 1,202 instances (2nd in the league) and have notched a total of 927 base hits. The Chicago Cubs hold an on-base percentage of .307 and a batting average of .231 on the year.

The Chicago pitching staff have relinquished 600 runs on the season while having an ERA of 4.58 (545 earned runs conceded). They have surrendered 175 homers and they concede 5.04 runs per 9 innings (20th in the league). The Cubs have a WHIP of 1.380 and have a FIP of 4.79 as a team so far this year. Their K/BB ratio sits at 2.35 (1,060 strikeouts vs 452 free passes). They are sitting at 23rd in the league as a pitching staff in total hits relinquished with 1,028.

Chicago has had relief pitchers enter the game in 40 save opportunities and they have recorded 30 saves. They are ranked 1st in MLB holding a save rate of 75.0%, and they have dispatched 453 relief pitchers to the hill so far this season. Their bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the hill 123 times in high leverage situations in addition to 124 occasions with runners on base. Chicago relievers hold an inherited score percentage of 31.3% out of 201 inherited base runners. With 105 save situations, the Cubs have 64 holds and 10 blown saves.

In 9,651 innings on the field, the Cubs have accumulated a defensive efficiency of 69.4% (18th in baseball). The Chicago Cubs have turned 100 double plays and have a fielding percentage of .985 (13th in MLB). The Cubs have recorded 1,178 assists, 67 errors and have amassed 3,217 putouts over the course of the season.

Thompson (3-2 win-loss record in his career) has earned a 2.21 earned run average while surrendering 6.6 hits per 9 innings. His K/BB ratio is 1.95 and he has faced 174 batters thus far in his career. He has allowed 10 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.279 and a FIP of 5.0. Thus far in his career, Thompson has surrendered 30 hits and he has 43 strikeouts in 40 frames.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Chicago (-135)

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