Kansas City Royals vs Miami Marlins Prediction, 7/18/2025 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Kansas City Royals vs Miami Marlins

Date: Friday, July 18, 2025

Location: loanDepot park in Miami, FL

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Florida

Odds/Point Spread: Kansas City (-122) Miami (+102)

loanDepot park is where the Miami Marlins (44-51) will meet the Kansas City Royals (47-50) on Friday. The moneyline on this contest has Kansas City at -122 while Miami is opening at +102. The over/under has been set at 8. The expected starting pitchers will be Seth Lugo and Sandy Alcantara.

Kansas City is slugging .374 and have been called out on strikes 670 times, while drawing a walk on 227 occasions. They have earned 324 RBI's as well as 794 base knocks this year, while their team batting average is .245. The Royals have hit 170 doubles as a squad and have knocked 73 balls out of the park. They have notched a total of 328 runs scored while having a team on-base percentage of .300. As a unit, the Kansas City Royals are putting up 3.4 runs per contest, which has them sitting at 29th in baseball.

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They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.80 and their pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.21. Royals pitchers have conceded 98 long balls and also 356 total runs (2nd in the league). Kansas City has given up 761 base hits (7.9 per 9 innings) in addition to 334 earned runs. The Royals have an ERA of 3.49 so far this year (2nd in the league), and their staff has struck out 794 batters. They have walked 284 batters and their FIP is 3.80 as a squad over the course of the season.

The Royals relievers have accumulated a save percentage of 70.0% and have come into the game in 92 save situations. The relief pitchers have inherited 137 runners on the campaign with 31.4% of them earned a run for their team. Royals pitchers have entered the game with players on base 96 times in addition to having 107 appearances in high leverage situations. The Royals have sent 315 relievers to the mound this season. The relief pitchers are sitting with 51 holds on the season (20th in baseball). They have accumulated 28 saves this year and have blown 12 of 40 save chances.

The Houston Astros have earned a total of 2,586 putouts at this point in the season, in addition to 858 assists and 41 errors. Their fielding percentage sits at .988 which has them sitting 7th in the majors, and they have turned 74 double plays. The Royals have turned 71.1% of balls hit into play into outs in their 7,758 innings on the diamond, which ranks them 8th in professional baseball.

Lugo has pitched in 948 innings and is sitting with 917 K's during his career. Lugo (62-45 career record) has earned a FIP of 3.25 and he has faced 3,888 hitters in the majors. His earned run average is 3.30 (348 ER's allowed) and his WHIP is 1.145. He has surrendered 834 hits (7.9 hits per nine innings) with 252 walks.

The Marlins have a slugging percentage of .392 and they earn 4.29 runs per outing (18th in MLB). They have recorded 159 doubles, while getting a free base 281 times as well as earning 408 runs. Miami has hit 87 home runs so far this year as well as 392 runs batted in. They have struck out on 759 occasions (23rd in the league) and have earned a total of 825 hits. The Miami Marlins are sitting with an OBP of .315 and a team batting average of .254 over the course of the season.

The Marlins hold a team WHIP of 1.330 in addition to having a FIP of 4.12 as a unit on the year. They currently have a K/BB ratio of 8.00 (753 strikeouts vs 303 walks). They are currently ranked 23rd in baseball as a pitching staff in total hits conceded with 821. They have allowed 104 dingers and they concede 4.93 runs per 9 innings (24th in baseball). The Miami pitching staff have given up 463 runs this year while holding an ERA of 4.58 (430 earned runs conceded).

Miami has had bullpen pitchers enter the game in 36 save opportunities and they have walked away with 22 saves. They rank 18th in the league with a save rate of 61.1%, and they have sent 303 relievers to the hill this year. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the hill 101 times in high leverage situations in addition to 79 occasions with runners on base. Miami relievers have an inherited score percentage of 31.3% out of 115 inherited base runners. With 87 save situations, the Marlins have accumulated 50 holds and 14 blown saves.

In their 7,605 innings played, the Marlins hold a efficiency on defense of 69.2% (20th in MLB). The Miami Marlins have turned 65 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .986 (18th in the majors). The Marlins have 831 assists, 48 errors and have 2,535 putouts this season.

In his pro baseball career, Alcantara has surrendered 867 base hits while tallying 860 strikeouts in 991 innings. He has given up 405 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.187 and a FIP of 3.6. He has a K/BB ratio of 2.77 and he has faced 4,091 hitters during his MLB career. Alcantara (45-64 career win-loss mark) has a 3.68 ERA while conceding 7.9 hits per 9 innings.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Miami (+102)

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