The Cleveland Guardians (51-51) and the Kansas City Royals (50-53) play the nightcap of a doubleheader and the second game of a 3-game set Saturday. First pitch from Kauffman Stadium is set for 7:15 p.m. ET (FOX). Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s MLB odds around the Guardians vs. Royals odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.

(Records, trends and stats do not include the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader.)

Season series: Guardians lead 4-2

The Guardians saw their 4-game winning streak snapped with a 4-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles Thursday. OF Steven Kwan supplied the power with 2 home runs, while 3B Jose Ramirez stayed hot, collecting 2 more hits. He’s batting .333 with 3 homers and 6 RBIs over the past week and has 8 home runs and 18 RBIs in July.

The Royals are 3-3 since the All-Star break after an 8-4 win Wednesday to close out a 2-1 series victory at the Chicago Cubs. 1B Vinnie Pasquantino led the way, launching 2 home runs to bring his season total to 17.

Both of these teams are sitting on the outside looking in at a Wild Card spot. Cleveland is 2½ games out, while Kansas City is right behind it at 4 back.

Guardians at Royals projected starters

RHP Tanner Bibee vs. LHP Kris Bubic

Bibee (6-9, 4.27 ERA) is making his 21st start. He has a 1.22 WHIP, 2.6 BB/9 and 7.7 K/9 through 116 innings.

Last start: Win, 7 IP, 3 ER (5 R), 6 H, 0 BB, 4 K in 10-5 home victory against Orioles Monday2025 away stats: 4-6, 5.37 ERA (67 IP, 40 ER), 1.37 WHIP, 7.8 K/9 in 12 startsLast start vs. Royals: No-decision, 4 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 4 BB, 4 K in 7-0 home victory April 11Career vs. Royals: 3-0, 2.65 ERA (37 1/3 IP, 11 ER), 1.21 WHIP, 7.7 K/9 in 7 starts

Bubic (8-6, 2.38 ERA) is making his 20th start. He has a 1.14 WHIP, 2.8 BB/9 and 9.1 K/9 through 113 2/3 innings.

Last start: Win, 5 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 2 K in 7-4 victory at Miami Marlins Sunday2025 home stats: 2-5, 2.85 ERA (53 2/3 IP, 17 ER), 1.14 WHIP, 9.4 K/9 in 9 startsLast start vs. Guardians: Loss, 6 IP, 2 ER (3 R), 6 H, 2 BB, 5 K April 11Career vs. Guardians: 1-3, 5.18 ERA (24 1/3 IP, 14 ER), 1.52 WHIP, 29 H, 8 BB, 25 K in 9 appearances (4 starts)

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Guardians at Royals odds

Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 2:14 a.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): Guardians +110 (bet $100 to win $110) | Royals -130 (bet $130 to win $100)Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Guardians +1.5 (-192) | Royals -1.5 (+158)Over/Under (O/U): 8.5 (O: +102 | U: -124)Guardians at Royals picks and predictionsPrediction

Royals 5, Guardians 4

BET ROYALS (-130).

The Guardians have been playing solid baseball lately, but a closer look at their competition reveals a softer schedule. Their recent wins have come against struggling teams like the Orioles, Chicago White Sox and A’s — each at the bottom of their respective divisions. While beating those teams still counts, it’s not a strong indicator of how they’ll fare Saturday night in Kansas City.

More telling is Cleveland’s ongoing struggle against left-handed pitching. The Guardians rank 26th in MLB with a .225 average vs. southpaws and hold an 11-19 record in those matchups.

On the mound, Bibee has decent career numbers against the Royals, but his recent road form is concerning — allowing 2, 4, 5 and 5 earned runs in his last 4 away starts, going just 1-2 in that stretch.

Meanwhile, Bubic has been solid in his recent outings vs. Cleveland, giving up only 5 earned runs over his last 17 1/3 innings against it. The Royals also just took 2 of 3 on the road from a tough Cubs squad.

Kansas City needs this series to gain ground in the AL Central, as the Detroit Tigers are floundering, and I like it to take the nightcap of Saturday’s doubleheader.

PASS.

This is going to be a tight game, which is why I’m going to avoid playing around with the run line. I’ll keep my focus on the moneyline.

PASS.

This is one of those matchups where it’s tough to feel confident about the total. While the pitching matchup leans toward the Under, there’s not enough conviction to back it strongly. These teams are 5-4-1 to the Over in their last 10 head-to-head meetings. The Royals are 5-5 O/U in their last 10 overall, while the Guardians went 2-2 O/U in their recent series vs. Baltimore. Given the uncertainty, it’s best to avoid the total entirely in this one. Instead, focus on the moneyline if you’re looking to get involved Saturday night.

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