Cleveland Guardians vs Kansas City Royals Prediction, 3/27/2025 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Cleveland Guardians vs Kansas City Royals

Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025

Location: Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City

Odds/Point Spread: Cleveland (-130) Kansas City (+110)

The Kansas City Royals (86-76 last season) host the Cleveland Guardians (92-69 last year) at Kauffman Stadium on Thursday. The odds on this game have Cleveland at -130 while Kansas City is sitting at +110. The over/under comes in at 8. The expected starting pitchers will be Tanner Bibee and Cole Ragans.

Cleveland had a slugging percentage of .395 and were rung up 1,196 times, while taking a walk on 466 occasions. They recorded 670 RBI's in addition to 1,263 base knocks over the course of last season, and their average at the plate was at .238. The Guardians compiled 245 doubles as a squad and hit 185 balls out of the park. They tallied 708 runs while holding a team OBP of .307. As a team, the Cleveland Guardians put up 4.4 runs per game, which had them at 14th in the league.

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They earned a K/BB ratio of 2.87 and their pitching staff had a collective WHIP of 1.20. Guardians pitchers yielded 179 home runs and 621 runs in total (3rd in the league). Cleveland allowed 1,224 hits (7.7 per 9 innings) and 572 earned runs. The Guardians finished with a team earned run average of 3.61 over the course of last year (3rd in the league), and the staff rung up 1,410 batters. They walked 492 opposing batters and their FIP was 3.98 as a squad over the course of last season.

The Guardians bullpen accumulated a save rate of 76.8% and stepped onto the hill in 193 save situations. The relievers inherited 235 base runners during the previous year with 26.0% of those runners crossed the plate. Guardians pitchers came into the game with players on base 170 times and also had 198 contests in high leverage situations. The Guardians dispatched 593 relief pitchers to the hill over the course of last year. The relief pitchers accumulated 122 holds last season (1st in baseball). They recorded 53 saves during the previous year and missed out on 16 out of their 69 save chances.

The Cleveland Guardians amassed 4,284 putouts over the course of last season, in addition to 1,377 assists and 87 errors. Their fielding rate was at .985 which ranked 17th in MLB, and they turned 130 double plays. The Guardians converted 70.9% of baseballs in play into outs out of their 12,852 innings, which had them ranked 5th in professional baseball.

Bibee has taken the mound for 315 innings and has earned 328 punch outs in his pro baseball career. His earned run average is 3.26 (114 earned runs allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.145. He has conceded 272 hits (7.8 hits per nine innings) with 89 free passes. Bibee (22-12 career record) holds a FIP of 3.21 and he has faced 1,295 opposing batters during his time in the major leagues.

The Kansas City Royals recorded a team on-base percentage of .306 and a team batting average of .248 for the previous season. They struck out on 1,161 occasions (29th in the league) and totaled 1,343 hits. Kansas City recorded 170 home runs last season to go along with 711 RBIs. The Royals held a team slugging percentage of .403 and they averaged 4.54 runs per contest (13th in MLB). They hit 264 two-baggers, while taking a walk 429 times and scoring 735 runs.

The Kansas City pitching staff allowed 644 runs over the course of last season while holding a team ERA of 3.76 (596 earned runs given up). They yielded 146 dingers and they allowed 4.06 runs per 9 innings (6th in baseball). The Royals finished with a team WHIP of 1.243 in addition to having a FIP of 3.76 as a pitching staff last year. Their K/BB ratio was 8.40 (1,339 strikeouts against 472 walks). They were ranked 15th in MLB as a staff in total hits surrendered with 1,303.

Kansas City relievers had an inherited score rate of 28.2% out of their 220 inherited runners. Their relievers stepped onto the mound 147 times in high leverage situations and on 130 occasions with runners on base. Ending the season with 142 save situations, the Royals tallied 76 holds and also 23 blown saves. They were ranked 15th in MLB holding a save rate of 64.1%, and they sent 506 relief pitchers to the hill last year. Kansas City called on relievers to take the mound in 64 save chances and they converted 41 saves.

The Kansas City Royals turned 125 double plays and earned a fielding percentage of .985 (15th in pro baseball). The Royals recorded 1,423 assists, 85 errors and a tally of 4,284 putouts in the prior season. In 12,852 innings played, the Royals had a defensive efficiency of 69.6% (18th in pro baseball).

Ragans (18-17 career record) has a 3.46 ERA and has allowed 7.2 hits per nine innings. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.93 and he has gone up against 1,328 batters so far in his pro baseball career. He has surrendered a total of 124 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.189 and having a FIP of 3.4. Thus far in his career, Ragans has conceded 259 hits while earning 363 punch outs in 322 innings.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Kansas City (+110)

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