Kansas City Royals vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, 8/18/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Kansas City Royals vs Chicago Cubs

Date: Friday, August 18, 2023

Location: Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL

TV: Marquee

The Chicago Cubs (62-58) will try to beat the Kansas City Royals (39-83) at Wrigley Field on Friday. The pitchers taking the mound will be Cole Ragans and Jameson Taillon.

The Royals have accrued 200 doubles as a team and have hit 119 balls out of the park. Kansas City has a slugging percentage of .395 and have been called out on strikes 1,049 times, while drawing a walk on 297 occasions. As a team, the Kansas City Royals are putting up 4.0 runs per game, which has them at 28th in the league. They have accrued 471 RBI's and 1,001 base knocks for the year, while their team batting average is .244. They have accounted for 490 runs scored while having a team OBP of .301.

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They have accrued a K/BB ratio of 2.24 and their pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.42. Royals pitchers have relinquished 150 long balls in addition to 652 runs (28th in MLB). Kansas City has allowed 1,083 base hits (9.2 per 9 innings) as well as 614 earned runs. The Royals have compiled a team ERA of 5.20 on the season (28th in baseball), and they have rung up 945 hitters. They have walked 422 opposing batters and their FIP comes in at 4.67 as a unit on the campaign.

The Royals have dispatched 397 relievers to the hill on the year. The relief pitchers have inherited 131 base runners for the season with 39.7% of those runners crossed home plate. They have compiled 17 saves this season and have blown 18 out of their 35 chances to get a save. The Royals relief pitchers have earned a save percentage of 48.6% and has come into the game in 81 save situations. The relievers have notched 46 holds so far this year (28th in the league). Royals relief pitchers have entered the game with opponents on base 82 times as well as having 100 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Royals have converted 68.4% of baseballs in play into outs out of their 9,567 innings, which ranks them 23rd in professional baseball. The Kansas City Royals have amassed 3,189 putouts this year, in addition to 1,046 assists and 55 errors. Their fielding rate is currently at .987 which is 10th in pro baseball, and they have twisted 92 double plays.

Ragans has taken the ball for 87 frames and is sitting with 78 punch outs in his career. His ERA is 4.55 (44 earned runs allowed) and his WHIP is 1.414. He has conceded 85 base hits (8.8 hits per nine innings) with 38 free passes. Ragans (3-7 career win-loss mark) is the owner of a FIP of 4.39 and he has faced 374 batters in the majors.

The Cubs have a team slugging % of .420 and they tally 5.03 runs per game (5th in the league). They have hit 193 doubles, while walking 432 times and scoring 604 runs. Chicago has hit 147 home runs over the course of the season to go along with 580 RBIs. They have been rung up on 1,079 occasions (9th in the league) and have recorded 1,035 hits. The Chicago Cubs have recorded a team OBP of .332 as well as a team batting average of .254 for the season.

The Cubs hold a team WHIP of 1.285 in addition to having a FIP of 4.24 as a unit on the season. Their strikeout to walk ratio comes in at 8.40 (990 strikeouts vs 375 walks). They are sitting at 13th in the league as a pitching staff in total hits surrendered with 988. They have conceded 135 home runs and they surrender 4.59 runs per 9 innings (17th in the league). The Chicago pitching staff have conceded 541 runs on the year and come in with a team ERA of 4.18 (493 earned runs given up).

Chicago has had relief pitchers step onto the hill in 32 save opportunities and they have converted 22 saves. They rank 7th in MLB with a save percentage of 68.8%, and they have sent 371 relievers to the mound so far this season. Their relievers have stepped onto the hill 94 times in high leverage situations in addition to 94 occasions with runners on. Chicago relievers hold an inherited score rate of 28.6% of 161 inherited runners. Sitting with 91 save situations, the Cubs have accrued 58 holds in addition to 10 blown saves.

The Chicago Cubs have gotten 104 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .986 (16th in baseball). The Cubs have accrued 1,100 assists, 62 errors and have 3,183 putouts on the campaign. Out of their 9,549 innings played, the Cubs hold a defensive efficiency of 69.7% (11th in professional baseball).

In his pro baseball career, Taillon has surrendered 875 base knocks while he has accumulated 801 K's in 891 innings. Taillon (58-42 win-loss mark in his career) has a 4.06 earned run average and has conceded 8.8 hits per nine innings. He has surrendered a total of 402 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.234 and having a FIP of 3.9. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.56 and he has faced 3,730 batters in his pro baseball career.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Kansas City

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