Kansas City Royals vs Cleveland Guardians Prediction, 8/28/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Kansas City Royals vs Cleveland Guardians

Date: Friday, August 28, 2026

Location: Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH

TV: MLB.TV

Odds/Point Spread: Kansas City (+125) Cleveland (-145)

Progressive Field is the location where the Cleveland Guardians (68-66) will try to beat the Kansas City Royals (59-75) on Friday. The moneyline on this game has Kansas City at +125 while Cleveland is at -145. The over/under has been set at 8. The pitchers who are expected to start will be Michael Wacha and Tanner Bibee.

As a team, the Kansas City Royals are earning 4.2 runs per contest, which is 22nd in the league. They have accumulated 565 runs scored while holding a team on-base percentage of .315. The Royals have compiled 236 two-baggers as a team and have hit 136 baseballs out of the park. They have accrued 538 runs batted in in addition to 1,104 hits so far this season, and their average at the plate is sitting at .246. Kansas City is slugging .398 and have struck out 1,052 times, while being walked on 421 occasions.

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The Royals hold a team earned run average of 4.70 so far this year (27th in MLB), and their staff has rung up 976 batters. Royals pitchers have given up 164 home runs and 657 total runs (26th in MLB). They have walked 493 hitters and their FIP is 4.63 as a squad on the year. Kansas City has conceded 1,156 base hits (8.8 per 9 innings) and 615 earned runs. They have accrued a K/BB ratio of 1.98 and their pitching staff has earned a collective WHIP of 1.40.

The Royals have dispatched 431 relievers to the hill this season. The relief pitchers have inherited 137 runners on the season and 41.6% of them ended up crossing the plate. The bullpen have recorded 68 holds over the course of the season (18th in the league). Royals pitchers have entered the game with opponents on base 92 times as well as having 129 appearances in high leverage situations. They have accumulated 33 saves for the year and have missed out on 23 out of their 56 chances to save the game. The Royals relievers have compiled a save rate of 58.9% and have come into the game in 127 save situations.

The Kansas City Royals are sitting with 3,532 putouts for the season, as well as 1,217 assists and 58 errors. Their fielding percentage is currently at .988 which has them sitting 6th in pro baseball, and have earned 116 double plays. The Royals have converted 69.8% of balls in play into outs out of their 10,596 innings on the field, which has them ranked 15th in the majors.

Wacha has taken the ball for 1,789 innings and has tallied 1,542 strikeouts so far in his career. His earned run average is 3.85 (766 earned runs allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.261. He has given up 1,712 base knocks (8.6 hits per nine innings) and has had 545 walks. Wacha (118-83 career record) is the owner of a FIP of 3.80 while he has faced 7,504 batters in the majors.

The Cleveland Guardians have accounted for an on-base percentage of .315 as well as a team batting average of .237 for the year. They have struck out on 1,086 occasions (19th in MLB) and have tallied 1,057 base hits. Cleveland has compiled 124 long balls for the season as well as 520 runs batted in. The Guardians have a slugging percentage of .371 and they are earning 4.05 runs per contest (27th in the league). They have put up 202 doubles, while taking a walk 489 times and earning 543 runs.

The Cleveland pitching staff have surrendered 547 runs this year while holding an ERA of 3.73 (493 earned runs conceded). They have given up 152 homers and they give up 4.14 runs per 9 innings (7th in the league). The Guardians are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.258 and have a FIP of 3.90 as a pitching staff over the course of the season. They currently have a K/BB ratio of 9.50 (1,250 strikeouts against 443 walks). They come in at 9th in MLB as a pitching staff in total hits relinquished with 1,052.

Cleveland bullpen pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 26.1% out of their 211 inherited runners. Their bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the hill 150 times in high leverage situations and also on 137 occasions with runners on. Sitting with 156 save situations, the Guardians have amassed 100 holds and also 14 blown saves. They are ranked 5th in the league with a save rate of 74.1%, and they have sent 461 relief pitchers to the mound over the course of the season.

The Cleveland Guardians have gotten 88 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .985 (16th in pro baseball). The Guardians have 1,043 assists, 69 errors and are sitting with 3,566 putouts this season. In 10,698 innings played, the Guardians are sitting with a efficiency on defense of 69.7% (17th in professional baseball).

So far in his MLB career, Bibee has surrendered 577 base knocks while he has totaled 613 punch outs in 654 frames. He has given up 269 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.168 and having a FIP of 3.6. His K/BB ratio is 3.28 and he has gone up against 2,694 opposing hitters thus far in his career. Bibee (39-36 career win-loss record) has a 3.70 earned run average while conceding 7.9 hits per nine innings.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Cleveland (-145)

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