Royals vs. Guardians: Picks, predictions, how to watch Monday’s game

The Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Guardians square off on Monday with first pitch set for 6:10 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio and will be available to watch on ESPN+. Jonathan Heasley will start for the Royals, and Zach Plesac will throw for the Guardians.

Kansas City (16-30) lost two of the final three games of their series with the Minnesota Twins, and they have the second worst record in the MLB. Heasley will make his fourth start of 2022 and has a 4.73 ERA, coming off an outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks where he allowed 3 runs on 4 hits and 6 walks with 5 strikeouts over 5 innings. The Royals average the 24th most runs per game, and Andrew Benintendi has a .398 on-base percentage with a .327 batting average.

Cleveland (19-24) lost four of their last five games heading into this matchup, losing two against the Detroit Tigers over the weekend. Plesac has a 5.40 ERA over eight starts and threw 5 scoreless innings against the Royals in his first start of the season in early April. Cleveland averages the ninth most runs per game, and Jose Ramirez drove in 5 runs in yesterday’s game to increase his league lead to 48 RBIs.

Royals vs. Guardians

Pitchers: Jonathan Heasley vs. Zach Plesac
First pitch: 6:10 p.m. ET
Royals local broadcast: Bally Sports Kansas City
Guardians local broadcast: Bally Sports Great Lakes
Live stream: WatchESPN, ESPN app with an ESPN+ subscription

Odds, picks & predictions

Run line: Guardians -1.5 (+115)
Run total: 9
Moneyline odds: Guardians -170, Royals +150

Moneyline pick: Royals +150

There is a great deal of value in this number because I could not imagine recommending the Guardians with that small of a payout with a struggling starter on the mound. The Royals have their struggles, but they are worth the risk in this spot.

Player prop pick: Zach Plesac Over 3.5 strikeouts (-165)

Zach Plesac’s total number of pitchers are going up, and it’s resulting in more strikeouts heading into this matchup. He threw at least 4 strikeouts in three of his last four games and should reach that number once again even against a Royals lineup that does not strike out a ton.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), ConnexOntario 1-866-531-2600 (ONT), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ NH/WY; 19+ ONT). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/ONT/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions. DraftKings operates pursuant to an Operating Agreement with iGaming Ontario. Please play responsibly.