Royals vs. Guardians series preview, betting odds for Thursday night’s game

Cleveland Guardians battle the Mew York Mets at Progressive Field

Ben Lively will be on the mound for the Guardians tonight against Kansas City.John Kuntz, cleveland.com

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Guardians and Kansas City Royals start a four-game series tonight, and it’s an important series for the Royals, as they are nine games behind Cleveland and in third place in the American League Central.

Here’s a quick preview of the game, along with some betting odds, from BetMGM:

When: Tonight through Sunday.

Moneyline for tonight’s game: Guardians - 115; Royals -105.

Spread for tonight’s game: Guardians -1.5 at +140; Royals +1.5 at -165.

Over/under for tonight’s game: 8.5.

TV/radio: Bally Sports Great Lakes will carry the series. Fox Sports 1 will televise Thursday’s game. WTAM, WMMS and the Guardians radio network will carry the series.

Pitching matchups

RHP Ben Lively (7-3, 3.03) vs. Michael Wacha (4-6, 4.07) tonight at 8:10 p.m.

RHP Triston McKenzie (3-4, 4.66) vs. RHP Alec Marsh (5-5, 4.40) Friday at 8:10 p.m.

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RHP Tanner Bibee (6-2, 3.50) vs. LHP Cole Ragans (5-5, 3.03) Saturday at 4:10 p.m.

LHP Logan Allen (8-3, 5.72) vs. Seth Lugo (10-2, 2.29) Sunday at 2:10 p.m.

Guardians update (56-27)

Their seven-game winning streak ended Wednesday night in a 4-2 loss to the Orioles. Since the Guardians lost to the Royals on June 6, they have gone 11-6. The Royals, who beat Miami on Wednesday, have gone 7-12. Jose Ramirez is hitting .429 (3 for 7) with one homer and three RBI against the Royals this year.

Royals update (44-38)

They have lost seven of their last 10 games despite beating the Marlins on Wednesday. Bobby Witt Jr. is hitting .444 (4 for 9) with two homers, four RBI and two stolen bases against the Guards this year. Lugo, one of the top pitchers in the game, got knocked around for five runs on six hits in six innings by the Guards on June 4.

Injuries

Guardians: RHP Gavin Williams (right elbow), RHP Eli Morgan (right elbow), RHP Nick Sandlin (back), RHP Shane Bieber (right elbow), RHP Trevor Stephan (right elbow) and RHP James Karinchak (right shoulder) are on the injured list.

Royals: UT Adam Frazier (right thumb), RHP Dan Altavilla (right lat), LHP Kris Bubic (left elbow), LHP Josh Taylor (left arm) and RHP Kyle Wright (right shoulder) are on the injured list. RHP Jordan Lyles is on the inactive list for person reasons.

- Cleveland.com reporter Paul Hoynes contributed to this post.

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