The Kansas City Royals return home from a 4-3 road swing tonight to open a three game set with the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium. This evening’s game one clash between the two American League Central rivals is scheduled to get underway at 8:10pm ET. The Royals are a -138 moneyline favorite in the latest MLB Free Picks and Odds from offshore bookmaker 5Dimes. The Over/Under is set at 8.5 runs and the White Sox are drawing a +128 line to earn their fourth win of the season against the Royals.

 

The 29-41 White Sox enter tonight’s series opener firmly entrenched in the AL Central cellar. Chicago’s unenviable position can be attributed to its recent 1-7 slide that has seen the team give up an average of 5.3 runs per game.

 

Southpaw Hector Santiago, who has spent the season swapping roles between starter and reliever, has, for the most part, not been a part of the White Sox current pitching woes. Santiago brings a 3.30 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in tonight’s game and he has 60 strikeouts in 57.1 innings pitched; however, Chicago is an abysmal 4-14 in games which Santiago has appeared.

 

The Royals have been on a tear most of June, but they are coming off back to back ugly losses to the Indians in Cleveland. The two setbacks dropped KC’s record to 34-36 and put the team 5.5 games back of the AL Central leading Tigers.

 

Jeremy Guthrie (3.72 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) gets the call tonight as the Royals look to halt their skid at two games. Despite some erratic performances, Guthrie owns a 7-4 record and Kansas City is 9-5 in the nine year veteran’s 14 starts this season. Even better, though, is the Royals record in Guthrie’s six starts at Kauffman Stadium.

 

KC is 5-1 with Guthrie toeing the home rubber and it won those five contests by an average of 3.6 runs per game.

 

Notable Trends: The Royals are 4-0 this season as a home favorite with a total between 8.5 and 9 runs.

 

 

Chicago White Sox +1.5 (-165), Over 8.5 (-110), +128 (Moneyline)

Kansas City Royals -1.5 (+145), Under 8.5 (-110), -138 (Moneyline)

 

Vegas Runner, Bryan Leonard and host Steve Fezzik discuss the current MLB replay system, with ideas on how to tweak it.