Chicago Cubs vs Kansas City Royals Prediction, 8/7/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Chicago Cubs vs Kansas City Royals

Date: Friday, August 7, 2026

Location: Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO

TV: MLB.TV

Odds/Point Spread: Chicago (-128) Kansas City (+106)

The Chicago Cubs (66-49) are headed to Kauffman Stadium on Friday where they will try to beat the Kansas City Royals (48-67). The line on this matchup has the Cubs at -128 and the Royals are priced at +106. The total is set at 8. The pitchers taking the mound will be Kevin Gausman and Mason Black.

As a team, the Chicago Cubs are recording 5.2 runs per game, which has them at 2nd in baseball. They have accumulated 592 runs and hold an OBP of .339. The Cubs have accumulated 194 two-baggers as a team and have knocked 143 balls out of the park. They have amassed 556 RBI's as well as 983 base knocks on the campaign, while their team batting average is sitting at .249. Chicago has a slugging percentage of .417 and have been called out on strikes 987 times, while drawing a walk on 494 occasions.

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They have accumulated a K/BB ratio of 2.63 and the pitching staff has earned a collective WHIP of 1.25. Cubs pitchers have conceded 172 home runs in addition to 493 runs in total (11th in the league). Chicago has given up 945 base knocks (8.3 per 9 innings) in addition to 465 earned runs. The Cubs have an ERA of 4.08 so far this season (13th in the league), and they have rung up 891 hitters. Their pitching staff has walked 339 opposing hitters and their FIP sits at 4.65 as a squad for the year.

Cubs bullpen pitchers have come into the game with runners on base 114 times and also have had 113 appearances in high leverage situations. The bullpen have earned 42 holds on the year (29th in the league). The Cubs relief pitchers have earned a save percentage of 56.8% and have entered the game in 92 save situations. They have compiled 25 saves so far this season and have missed out on 19 of their 44 chances to save the game. The relief pitchers have inherited 161 base runners for the year and 31.1% of them earned a run for their team. The Cubs have sent 374 relief pitchers to the hill so far this year.

The Chicago Cubs have earned 3,080 putouts thus far, in addition to 1,061 assists and 44 errors. Their fielding percentage sits at .989 which is 1st in MLB, and have earned 88 double plays. The Cubs have turned 71.9% of baseballs in play into outs out of their 9,240 innings on the diamond, which has them sitting 3rd in the majors.

Gausman has taken the mound for 2,038 innings and has tallied 2,081 punch outs in his career. His ERA is 3.85 (872 ER's allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.243. He has surrendered 1,963 hits (8.7 hits per 9 innings) and has 571 free passes. Gausman (117-123 win-loss mark in his career) has earned a FIP of 3.79 and he has gone up against 8,526 opposing hitters in the majors.

The Royals have a SLG% of .398 and they earn 4.15 runs per contest (24th in the league). They have put up 209 doubles, while walking 356 times as well as putting up 477 runs. Kansas City is sitting with 116 HRs so far this season to go along with 454 runs batted in. They have been rung up on 915 occasions (24th in MLB) and have accounted for 947 base knocks. The Kansas City Royals have compiled an on-base percentage of .313 in addition to a team batting average of .245 for the season.

The Kansas City pitching staff have relinquished 579 runs over the course of the season while holding an ERA of 4.81 (540 earned runs given up). They have surrendered 147 dingers and they surrender 5.16 runs per 9 innings (27th in MLB). The Royals have a WHIP of 1.417 and are the owners of a FIP of 4.69 as a squad over the course of the season. Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 7.60 (855 strikeouts against 428 walks). They come in at 27th in the league as a pitching staff in total hits relinquished with 1,003.

They rank 23rd in MLB with a save rate of 57.1%, and they have dispatched 368 relief pitchers onto the diamond this year. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the hill 114 times in high leverage situations and also on 78 occasions with base runners. Sitting with 99 save situations, the Royals have accrued 49 holds and 21 blown saves. Kansas City has called on bullpen pitchers to step onto the hill in 49 save chances and they have tallied 28 saves. Kansas City bullpen pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 40.0% out of their 115 inherited runners.

Out of their 9,090 innings played, the Royals have a efficiency on defense of 69.4% (21st in pro baseball). The Kansas City Royals have turned 102 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .987 (11th in professional baseball). The Royals have 1,044 assists, 54 errors and are sitting with 3,030 putouts during this campaign.

Black (1-5 win-loss mark in his career) holds a 5.65 ERA while surrendering 11.0 hits per nine innings. His strikeout to walk ratio is 1.96 and he has gone up against 270 hitters in his career. He has given up a total of 36 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.675 and a FIP of 5.6. During his MLB career, Black has given up 70 base knocks while tallying 51 strikeouts in 57 innings pitched.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Kansas City (+106)

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