Kansas City Royals vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, 8/22/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Kansas City Royals vs Chicago Cubs

Date: Sunday, August 22, 2021

Location: Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL

TV: Marquee Sports Network

Odds/Point Spread: Kansas City (-105) Chicago (-116)

Wrigley Field is the venue where Alec Mills and the Chicago Cubs (54-70, 4th in NL Central) will take on the Kansas City Royals (53-68, 5th in AL Central) on Sunday. The Royals open this contest at -105 while the Cubs are priced at -116. The total has been set at 9. The expected starting pitchers will be Carlos Hernandez and Alec Mills.

The Royals have accrued 170 two-baggers as a team and have knocked 124 baseballs out of the stadium. Kansas City is slugging .389 and have been called out on strikes 958 times, while drawing a walk on 314 occasions. As a unit, the Kansas City Royals are putting up 4.1 runs per game, which puts them at 24th in baseball. They have tallied 469 RBI's and 972 base knocks so far this season, and their team batting average is at .242. They have notched a total of 495 runs while holding a team OBP of .302.

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The Royals have compiled a team ERA of 4.85 for the season (26th in the league), and their staff has struck out 1,032 batters. Their pitching staff has walked 457 batters and their FIP sits at 4.48 as a squad over the course of the season. They have a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.26 and the pitching staff sits with a WHIP of 1.41. Royals pitchers have conceded 148 long balls and 600 runs (22nd in the league).

The Royals have sent 414 relief pitchers to the mound on the season. The relief pitchers have inherited 181 base runners on the season with 29.8% of those players ended up scoring. They have compiled 27 saves on the season and have blown 18 of their 45 save chances. The Royals relievers have accumulated a save rate of 60.0% and stepped onto the hill in 106 save situations. The relievers have 61 holds this season (16th in baseball). Royals pitchers have entered the contest with runners on base 114 times in addition to having 111 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Royals have converted 68.0% of balls hit into play into outs out of 9,477 innings, which ranks them 28th in the majors. The Kansas City Royals have earned 3,159 putouts on the campaign, as well as 1,063 assists and 66 errors. Their fielding rate is holding at .985 which has them ranked 15th in professional baseball, and they have turned 830 double plays.

Hernandez has taken the ball for 66 frames and has earned 65 strikeouts so far in his career. Hernandez (3-2 win-loss record in his career) has earned a FIP of 4.76 and he has gone up against 287 hitters in the major leagues. His ERA is 4.46 (33 ER's allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.425. He has given up 64 hits (8.6 hits per 9 innings) and has 31 free passes.

Chicago has tallied 154 home runs for the year and 489 runs batted in. They have put up 169 doubles, while getting a free base 377 times as well as putting up 514 runs. The Chicago Cubs have an on-base percentage of .306 as well as a team batting average of .230 this season. The Cubs have a team slugging percentage of .396 and they are recording 4.15 runs per game (23rd in MLB). They have struck out on 1,215 instances (2nd in MLB) and have recorded 932 base hits.

The Chicago pitching staff have allowed 606 runs on the campaign while having an ERA of 4.59 (551 earned runs allowed). They have given up 180 long balls and they surrender 5.04 runs per 9 innings (21st in MLB). The Cubs have a team WHIP of 1.379 in addition to having a FIP of 4.82 as a pitching staff on the season. Their K/BB ratio sits at 2.35 (1,067 strikeouts vs 455 walks). They rank 23rd in baseball as a pitching staff in total hits allowed with 1,036.

Sitting with 105 save situations, the Cubs have amassed 64 holds in addition to 10 blown saves. Chicago has called on bullpen pitchers to step onto the hill in 40 save opportunities and they have walked away with 30 saves. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the hill 123 times in high leverage situations and on 124 occasions with base runners. Chicago relievers have an inherited score rate of 31.3% out of their 201 inherited base runners. They are ranked 1st in the league holding a save rate of 75.0%, and they have sent 456 relief pitchers to the mound so far this season.

Out of their 9,732 innings on the diamond, the Cubs have accumulated a defensive efficiency of 69.5% (16th in professional baseball). The Chicago Cubs have twisted 100 double plays and have a fielding percentage of .985 (12th in baseball). The Cubs have accrued 1,187 assists, 67 errors and have notched a total of 3,244 putouts on the season.

In his pro baseball career, Mills has surrendered 184 base hits while he has earned 172 punch outs in 197 innings pitched. Mills (11-11 career record) is the owner of a 4.16 earned run average while conceding 8.4 hits per nine innings. He has surrendered 91 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.264 and a FIP of 4.5. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.65 and he has faced 831 hitters in his MLB career.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Kansas City (-105)

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