A series opener between the Chicago Cubs (62-58) and Kansas City Royals (39-84) is scheduled for Friday at 2:20 PM ET, at Wrigley Field. On the hill for the Cubs will be Jameson Taillon (7-7), opposed by the Royals’ Cole Ragans (3-4).
How to Live Stream Cubs vs. Royals
- Game Day: Friday, August 18, 2023
- Game Time: 2:20 PM ET
- Location: Chicago, Illinois
- Stadium: Wrigley Field
- TV: MLB Network
FREE MLB LIVE STREAM: Watch Cubs vs. Royals for free with a trial to Fubo!
Cubs and Royals Stats
- The Cubs strike out 8.4 batters per nine innings as a pitching staff, 22nd in MLB.
- Cubs pitchers have a combined ERA of 4.25 this year, which ranks 15th in MLB.
- The Cubs have hit 147 homers this season, which ranks 13th in the league.
- Hitters for Chicago rank 10th in the majors with a combined .419 team slugging percentage.
- The Royals pitching staff ranks 28th in the majors with a collective eight strikeouts per nine innings.
- Kansas City has the 28th-ranked team ERA across all MLB pitching staffs (5.16).
- The Royals average one home run per game to rank 25th in baseball with 120 total home runs .
- So far this season, Kansas City’s .396 slugging percentage is 23rd in the majors.
Cubs vs. Royals Key Players
- Nico Hoerner has 22 doubles, four triples, nine home runs and 35 walks while batting .282.
- Cody Bellinger’s .327 batting average leads his team.
- Jeimer Candelario is batting .273 with 35 doubles, two triples, 17 home runs and 42 walks.
- Bobby Witt Jr. leads the lineup with a batting average of .276, while leading the Royals in home runs, with 23 and runs batted in with 76.
- Salvador Perez is hitting .255 with 19 doubles, 19 home runs and 16 walks.
- Maikel Garcia is hitting .285 with 16 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 25 walks.
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Cubs vs. Royals Betting Odds and Trends
Cubs vs. Royals Moneyline and Over/Under
| Favorite | Favorite Moneyline | Underdog Moneyline | Total | Over Total Odds | Under Total Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cubs | -188 | +159 | 8.5 | -114 | -104 |
Cubs vs. Royals Betting Trends
- This season, the Cubs have won 35 out of the 59 games, or 59.3%, in which they’ve been favored.
- This season the Cubs have won two of their three games when favored by at least -188 on the moneyline.
- Games involving the Cubs have gone over the total set by oddsmakers in 62 of 120 chances this season.
- The Royals have come away with 35 wins in the 108 contests they have been listed as the underdogs in this season.
- The Royals have a win-loss record of 12-37 when favored by +159 or worse by oddsmakers this year.
- The Royals and their opponents have gone over in 60 of their 122 games with a total set by sportsbooks this season.
