Royals vs. Cardinals Monday Prediction
The I-70 series will renew on Monday night when the St. Louis Cardinals host the Kansas City Royals at 8:15 p.m. ET. The Cardinals are massive favorites so is there any value for bettors when it comes to the total?
Game Snapshot & Odds
967 Kansas City Royals (+170) at 968 St. Louis Cardinals (-200); 8.5 runs
Monday, May 21, 2018
8:15 p.m. ET, Busch Stadium
TV: KC (FSKC); STL (FSMW)
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Public Betting Trends
Oddsmakers from online sportsbooks currently list the Cardinals as a -200 favorite. As of this writing, 63% of the betting tickets wagered at online sportsbooks are on the Cardinals to beat the Royals on the moneyline. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our MLB Public Betting Page for updated figures on this game.
Royals’ Kennedy gives up five runs to Rays
Ian Kennedy gave up five runs over six innings and struck out six Tuesday against the Rays. Kennedy’s final strikeout tonight was the 1,500th of his career. He’s fanned 45 in 47 innings this year, though that hasn’t prevented him from posting a 4.98 ERA.
Cardinals’ Mikolas last just 4 2/3 innings in last start
Miles Mikolas yielded only two runs but lasted just 4 2/3 innings Wednesday in the Cardinals’ 7-5 win over the Twins. It’s the shortest outing of the season so far for Mikolas, who hadn’t gone less than 6 1/3 frames in any of his last six starts. He was hit with a comebacker in the game but stayed in, although perhaps it was affecting him. Mikolas had thrown 85 pitches over his 4 2/3 frames. The right-hander will have two starts next week, at home against the Royals and on the road in Pittsburgh.
MLB Betting Trends
Kansas City
The Royals are winless in their last four games against the Cardinals and have dropped five of their last seven games in St. Louis.
St. Louis
The under is 14-6-3 in the last 23 meetings between these two teams in St. Louis.
Prediction:
Even though the under has been a profitable play in this series when these two teams meet in St. Louis, I see plenty of value in the over. Mikolas has been fantastic for the Cardinals given that he pitched in Japan the past two years and was a bargain bin-type signing this past offseason. But he doesn’t generate a ton of strikeouts and opponents are starting to hit the ball hard off of him. Granted, the Royals can’t hit but with Kennedy starting on the other side and Mikolas due for some negative regression, I’ll take the over on Monday night.
The Pick: Royals/Cardinals over 8.5