Guardians vs. Royals Game 2 Preview: predictions, odds, and expert picks for Sept 3, 2024

On September 3, the Kansas City Royals will play the Cleveland Guardians in the penultimate game of the final series of the season between the two AL Central clubs.

After taking three out of four from the Guardians in August, KC arrived in high spirits. However, home runs from Lane Thomas and Josh Naylor helped secure a 4-2 win for Cleveland.

Guardians vs Royals Recent Form and Records

As of Wednesday morning, the Guardians' 79-59 record places them first in the AL Central, 3.5 games ahead of the Minnesota Twins and 4.5 games up on the Royals.

Though the Royals caught up temporarily in mid-August, Cleveland's 6-4 run over their past ten has ensured they made their way back to the top. For KC, who hold on to the third and final AL Wild Card spot, a 3-7 run over the last ten has hurt their hopes of winning their division.

Guardians vs Royals Key Players

Starting Pitchers

Tanner Bibee, Cleveland

Tanner Bibee's 3.65 ERA is the best on the Guardians' starting rotation. Now 10-6 on the season, Bibee was yanked after just five innings in his last start against the Royals on August 28.

• Last start 5.0 IP 8 H 5 ER 5 IP 6 K
• Season at Home 4-3 4.54 ERA 69.1 IP 36 ER
• Career vs KC 1-0 3.29 ERA 21 IP

Brady Singer, Kansas City

28 year-old Brady Singer will make his 28th start of the season against Cleveland. Now 9-9 with a 3.36 ERA on the season, the Florida-native allowed just two earned runs in six innings in his last start against the Houston Astros.

• Last start 6 IP 5 H 2 ER 6 K
• Season Away 3-4 3.95 ERA 68.1 IP 30 ER
• Career vs CLE 2-2 4.98 ERA 68.2 IP

Players to Watch

Cleveland

Josh Naylor's .458 batting average over the past week ranks fourth among qualified MLB players during that time. Having reached 100 RBIs for the first time in his career this year, eight of those runs batted in have come over his past six games.

Rookie outfielder Jhonkensy Noel has brought some electricity to Cleveland's lineup. A .257 hitter in 48 games this season, the 23 year-old has hit .295 with 4 home runs and 10 RBIs over his past 12 games.

Although Steven Kwan's .295 batting average continues to lead his club, the outfielder has hit a mere .145 over his past seven games. Watch ou for Kwan to try and gets things back on the right track on Wednesday.

Kansas City

A .338 hitter on the season, although Bobby Witt Jr is just 4 for his last 28, three of those hits have left the ballpark. A career .237 hitter against the Guardians, watch out for Witt to try and spark some offense for his team.

Catcher Salvador Perez has led the way with 3 home runs and 12 RBIs over the past two weeks. In 153 career games against Cleveland, Salvy has 23 home runs and 81 RBIs.

Vinnie Pasquantino's 97 RBIs are tied with Bobby Witt Jr. for the most on the team. Having hit two homers in his team's recent series against the Detroit Tigers, Pasquantino will be looking to keep his solid hitting going.

Guardians vs Royals Baseball Betting Odds and Insights

Wednesday 3/9	Money Line	Run Spread	Total Runs
Kansas City Royals	+100	-1.5 +145	O 7.5 -120
Cleveland Guardians	-120	+1.5 -175	U 7.5 +100

Guardians vs Royals Expert Picks and Game Prediction

Money Line

Although the Kansas City Royals have won seven of ten games against Cleveland this season, the Guardians are favored in this game. The recent showings of both teams point to Cleveland being in a slightly better position heading into Wednesday.

Run Spread

Over the past week, Cleveland has averaged 4.6 runs per game, while KC has averaged just 3.1. As was evidenced in their recent series against the Astros that saw the Royals score just nine runs in four games, offense has not been easy for the team. Run spread predictions mirror this reality.

Total Runs

The Guardians have a better chance of racking up a high-scoring outing. This is largely due to the hot streak that several of their top bats find themselves on.

Prediction: Cleveland W, 5-2