Kansas City Royals at St. Louis Cardinals Betting Pick/Player Prop
07 August 2021
It has been another frustrating season for the Kansas City Royals as they come into this game with a record of 47-61. The Royals have gone just 19-36 away from Kansas City this season, and that has kept them out of the playoff race.
St. Louis has been one of the most disappointing teams in baseball in 2021 as they bring a record of 54-55 into this game. The Cardinals are buried in the NL Central standings, and they are just trying to build some momentum for the 2022 season at this point.
The St. Louis Cardinals are the betting favorite at -179 on the moneyline for this game.
Royals Can Score
Kansas City has some things that they need to fix in the offseason, but this offense has the potential to put up some big numbers at times. The Royals are hitting just .241 as a team, but there is some serious thunder in that lineup.
Veteran catcher Salvador Perez leads the team with 27 home runs and 68 RBIs, and the Cardinals will have to find a way to get him out. Kansas City did not do much at the plate in the series opener, but they will be looking to bounce back.
Brad Keller is set to start for the Royals on Saturday, and he is looking to turn his season around. Keller has gone just 7-10 with a 5.64 ERA, but he will be facing a lineup that has struggled.
Cardinals Can’t Get Outs
Pitching has been a major issue for St. Louis in 2021, and injuries have played a role. The Cardinals have a team ERA of 4.25, and the entire staff has had trouble throwing strikes at times.
Kwang Hyun Kim is set to make the start for St. Louis on Saturday night, and he is looking for more consistency. Kim has gone 6-6 with a 3.31 ERA, and the Cardinals will be counting on him for the next few seasons.
Nolan Arenado leads St. Louis with 21 home runs and 66 RBIs, but he was expected to carry this offense in 2021. The Cardinals have too many holes in the everyday lineup to really be considered a postseason contender.
Dunkel's Pick: Kansas City (+149)
These two teams always seem to play competitive games when they meet up, and you can throw the records out in these matchups. St. Louis was able to take care of business at home on Friday night, but look for Kansas City to bounce back on Saturday.
Pitching just continues to be a problem for the Cardinals, and they don’t have enough offense to overcome a bad staff. The Royals have some flaws of their own, but this should be a great game for the Kansas City offense on Saturday night.
Expect another close game in this one, but this time it will be the visitors that are able to get the upper hand. Bet the Kansas City Royals money line as they even up the series with a victory.
Player Prop
Whit Merrifield (-340) Over 0.5 Hits
Merrifield made the transition from outfield to second base in spring training and has already established himself as one of the best defensive players in the league after ranking second in the AL in runs saved for July.
But it’s offense that Royals fans have come to appreciate from the 6-foot, 195-pounder. A lifetime .291 hitter, Merrifield is once again leading the team in runs (58), hits (116) and 2Bs (24).
It’s rare to see him go hitless in back-to-back games like he did in the series finale against the White Sox on Thursday and then last night’s opener against the Cardinals. He did it only four times in July and each time produced at least one hit to break out of the mini-slump, including a 4-hit bonanza against the Orioles on July 16.
That breakout effort will be hard to replicate against St. Louis starter Kwang Hyun Kim, who allowed just a .186 batting average for opponents in July. But we do like the consistent Merrifield (-340) to snap his mini-slump with at least one hit today.
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