| MATCHUP | Chicago Cubs | Kansas City Royals |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 67-49 | 48-68 |
| Where | Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri | |
| When | Friday, August 7, 2026 | |
| Time | 08:10 PM EDT | |
| TV | MLB.TV | |
Chicago Cubs Betting Preview
The Chicago Cubs are 67-49 on the year and play the Nationals and Cardinals next. The Chicago Cubs are batting .248 on the season, with a .338 OBP and a .415 slugging percentage. The Chicago Cubs’ pitching staff has a 4.05 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. Pete Crow-Armstrong leads the Chicago Cubs with 126 hits and 69 RBI, while Alex Bregman and Nico Hoerner have combined for 229 hits and 104 RBI.
Kevin Gausman gets the ball for the Chicago Cubs, and he is 5-10 with a 4.38 ERA and 127 strikeouts this season. Gausman is 2-3 with a 3.25 ERA and 33 strikeouts in his career against the Kansas City Royals.
Kansas City Royals Betting Preview
The Kansas City Royals are 48-68 on the year and play the Angels and Dodgers next. The Kansas City Royals are batting .245 on the season, have a .312 OBP, and have a .396 slugging percentage. The Kansas City Royals’ pitching staff has a 4.80 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP. Bobby Witt Jr. leads the Kansas City Royals with 109 hits and 41 RBI, while Salvador Perez and Jac Caglianone have combined for 187 hits and 93 RBI.
Daniel Lynch IV gets the ball for the Kansas City Royals, and he is 4-2 with a 1.96 ERA and 35 strikeouts this season. This will be Lynch IV’s first career game against the Chicago Cubs.
Why the Kansas City Royals will win
- The home team has won each of the Cubs’ last four games.
- The Cubs have lost five of their last six games against AL Central opponents following a home win.
- The Cubs have failed to cover the run line in 11 of their last 12 night games against AL Central opponents following a home win.
- The Royals have covered the run line each of their last five night games against NL Central opponents that held a winning record.
- The Royals have led after 5 innings in four of their last five night games against NL Central opponents that held a winning record.
Why the Chicago Cubs will win
- The Royals have lost 10 of their last 11 night games at Kauffman Stadium following a home loss.
- The Cubs have won 13 of their last 15 road games against American League opponents following a home win.
- The Cubs have covered the run line in each of their last eight road games after playing the previous day.
- The Royals have failed to cover the run line in 14 of their last 15 night games following a home loss.
- The Cubs have won the first inning in five of their last six games against AL Central opponents that held a losing record.
Total Runs Facts
- Each of the Royals’ last five home games against NL Central opponents have gone OVER the total runs line.
- Four of the Cubs’ last five games against American League opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- There has been at least one run scored in the first inning in each of the Cubs’ last six night games against AL Central opponents.
- There has been at least one run scored in the first inning in each of the Royals’ last four games against NL Central opponents.
Kansas City Royals Player Prop Facts
- Jac Caglianone has hit at least one home run in each of the Royals’ last three home games against NL Central opponents.
- Salvador Perez has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 10 appearances in night games against NL Central teams that held a winning record.
Chicago Cubs Player Prop Facts
- Kevin Gausman has recorded a win in six of his last eight appearances against AL Central opponents that held a losing record.
- Seiya Suzuki has hit a home run in each of the Cubs’ last two road games against AL opponents that held a losing record.
- Kevin Gausman has recorded six or more strikeouts in each of his last three road appearances.
- Carson Kelly has recorded at least one hit in each of his last seven road appearances against AL Central opponents.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Royals rank 28th in the league for strikeouts this season (859).
- The Royals rank 27th in the league for opponent batting average this season (.260).
- The Cubs rank 2nd in the league for on-base percentage this season (.338).
- The Cubs rank 29th in the league for home runs allowed this season (172).
Chicago Cubs vs Kansas City Royals Prediction
Lynch has been dealing this season, but he has just 46 innings under his belt. I’d love to see a larger sample size before I can trust these numbers. Also, I’ve been fading the Royals all season, and it’s worked up to this point—no reason to stop now. The Cubs continue to play good ball, and this is a chance for Gausman to make a promising first impression on his new team. He was brought here to bolster the rotation and improve their odds at a deep playoff run. I’m rolling with the Cubs and the reasonable price.