Kansas City Royals vs. Cleveland Guardians Preview, Prediction & Odds 4/11

This Kansas City Royals vs. Cleveland Guardians preview will look at Game 1 on Friday. These two already played a 3-game series in Kansas City where the Guardians went 2-1. Currently, the Royals and Guardians are the 2nd- and 3rd-place teams in the AL Central Division. Cleveland heads in on a 3-game winning streak. Let’s take a look at the starting pitchers, stats, the series trends, and make a Totals pick on this matchup.

Royals vs. Guardians Odds

Kansas City Royals vs. Cleveland Guardians

• Game: Kansas City Royals at Cleveland Guardians

• Date and Time: Friday, April 11, 2025, 6:11 EDT/5:11 CDT/3:11 PDT

• Location: Progressive Field (Kentucky Bluegrass), Cleveland, Ohio

• TV: CLEGuardians. TV

Key Stats

Kansas City Royals

The Royals are scheduled to start LHP Kris Bubic (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.79 WHIP), and the southpaw has been brilliant so far this season. A longshot to win the AL Cy Young Award at 50/1, Bubic was a relief pitcher last season for Kansas City. Bubic already has 16 strikeouts and has allowed just three walks.

The Royals’ bats will need to wake up, though, as Kansas City has only scored 14 runs in its last six games. Bobby Witt Jr. (.280, 14 hits), Maikel Garcia (2 HR), Jonathan India (.357 OBP), and Vinnie Pasquantino (10 RBI) are the offensive leaders for the Royals, who have just one win on the Road so far this young season.

Royals Betting Trends

• The Royals have won three of the last four in Cleveland
• Kansas City is 4-1 in its last five games overall
• The Under is 5-0-0 in the last five Royals games
• The Under is 7-3-0 in the last 10 Kansas City games
• The Royals are 2-5 in the last seven series meetings (last six in KC)
• Kansas City was 41-40 on the Road in the 2024 MLB season

Cleveland Guardians

The Guardians are scheduled to start RHP Tanner Bibee  (1-1, 6.52 ERA, 1.34 WHIP), and he has been roughed up a bit in his 9.2 IP, allowing 10 hits and 4 HR. He will have to be at his best here against Bubic, who hasn’t allowed an ER all season. Cleveland comes in the winners of three straight, sweeping the White Sox and allowing just three runs in the three games.

At the plate, the Guardians are led by Steven Kwan (.356, .420 OBP, 16 hits), José Ramírez (four HR), Kyle Manzarido (11 RBI), and Carlos “Oye Como Va” Santana (12 hits, two HR), but this team is only batting .212 and lucky they just came off a series against the lowly White Sox (lost eight straight).

Guardians Betting Trends

• The Guardians are a perfect 3-0 at Home (all vs CWS)
• Cleveland went 30-22 vs the AL Central Division last season
• Tanner Bibee is 3-0 lifetime vs. the Royals with a 3.03 ERA
• Cleveland has the longest current Winning Streak in the AL (three games)
• The Under is 4-0-1 in the last five Indians games overall
• Cleveland was 50-30 at Home last 2024 MLB season

Prediction

It will be a chilly 42° at first pitch in Cleveland tonight, so with that cold and these pitchers and the recent performances by both teams, you can see why the Total is seven. The Under is 5-0-0 in the last five Kansas City games and 4-0-1 in the last five Cleveland games. The last time one of these teams played an Over was on April 5 (both teams).

Although there were 26 runs scored in the first three times these two met in late March, with Bubic and Bibee on the mound and the cold, it seems this will be a low-scoring slog that might go 0-0 for a while. Kansas City and Cleveland were two of the best six under teams last season. The Royals were 93-70-5 to the Under (57.1%), while the Guardians were 86-74-11 (53.8%).

Final Pick

Under 7 -122