It has been 14 years since the Kansas City Royals (28-18 SU, +9.24 Units) paid a visit to Wrigley Field. Saturday will mark the middle game of the first three-game set between KC and the Chicago Cubs (25-21 SU, +1.47 Units) played in the Windy City since 2001.
ODDS ANALYSIS
Last season, Kansas City made its money for bettors by going 47-34 on the road and netting almost 14 units of profits. This season though, the Royals have reversed course and been fantastic at home but mediocre on the road. You'd think that a 28-18 team would have a winning record away from home as well, but alas, KC is just 11-11 and up just 0.60 units on the campaign away from Kauffman Stadium.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Flamethrower, Yordano Ventura will get the ball for the Royals on Saturday. His overall numbers aren't terrible at 3-4 with a 4.64 ERA, but they aren't great either. His best starts have virtually all been at home, and his worst starts have generally been on the road.
Ironically, the only time this season in which Ventura didn't allow at least four runs in a road start was here in Chicago, though it was on the South Side of town at US Cellular Field against the White Sox, a game in which he gave up just two runs in five innings.
Normally speaking, we in the general public know who athletes are at a certain point in their careers. For Jason Hammel, obviously, we don't know a darn thing.
The 32-year old has completely refined himself this season. He never had a year with more than 160 strikeouts in his life, but all of a sudden, he has a K/9 of 8.65 and a K/BB ratio of 8.29. His ERA is 2.98, while his WHIP is 0.91, and men are hitting .217 against him. All of those figures – albeit through just nine starts – are career-bests.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"Just a bump in the road, man. We really didn't do anything this entire series. That's part of the game – 162 games, you're obviously not going to be firing on all cylinders all year." – Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer when asked to explain a three-game sweep against the Yankees midweek
SITUATIONAL BETTING
The Royals were never going to be able to sustain the type of bullpen work they had put together through their first 35 or so games of the season. Just over the course of the last four games, the pen has allowed seven runs over 15 innings of work, and it has a nasty WHIP of 1.53 as a unit.
Virtually nothing is working right now out of the pen consistently, save for setup man Wade Davis, who is still sitting on that pristine 0.00 ERA.
PROP TALK
Yordano has some really high heat, and the first time that men face him in his career, they tend to be a little bit baffled.
In his last three starts, two of which have come against National League teams, Yordano has struck out a total of 19 men over 21 innings of work. The Cubs have some really big strikeout candidates in Jorge Soler (62), Kris Bryant (49), Addison Russell (46), and Dexter Fowler (43). Playing Yordano's over in strikeouts in this game probably isn't a bad idea.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
We love the way that Yordano has thrown against the Cardinals and the Reds, and this could be yet another really strong outing on his part against a team which could be caught flailing late at pitches.
The Royals are right about one thing: They certainly aren't firing on all cylinders. An off-day certainly should help, as we expect to see KC back on track by Saturday.
Kansas City 4, Chicago 2
The MLB lines for this Saturday contest will be first released by BookMaker Sportsbook. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time moneylines, player props and inning totals. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker's live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker today! The ballgame pitting the Kansas City Royals versus the Chicago Cubs will commence at 7:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 30, 2015 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL. The matchup will be televised live on FOX.
