Kansas City is 25-26 in road games and 49-52 overall. Royals pitchers have a collective 3.50 ERA, which ranks second in MLB play. The teams play Tuesday for the second time this season.

If the Chicago Cubs make the postseason, adding another quality starter who can slot into a playoff series would make them a serious World Series threat.

The Chicago Cubs need a third reliable starting pitcher, and the Kansas City Royals have the man for the job in last season's Cy Young runner-up, Seth Lugo.

The Cubs are favored at home (-142) against the Royals (+120). The Chicago Cubs will hand the ball to Matthew Boyd (10-3, 2.34 ERA), who is looking for win No. 11 on the season, and the Royals will counter with Richard Hill.

It feels as though day after day, the odds of Seth Lugo remaining with the Kansas City Royals slowly erode. Lugo has been great for the Royals for the last yea

The Kansas City Royals plan to call up 45-year-old pitcher Rich Hill from the minors for a start against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, marking the left-hander’s 21st season in the majors.

The Kansas City Royals (48-52) visit the Chicago Cubs (59-40) Monday to open a 3-game series. First pitch from Wrigley Field is at 8:05 p.m. ET (MLB Network). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's MLB odds around the Royals vs. Cubs odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.

MLB insider Jim Callis considers the Cubs to be one of many franchises with enough minor-league capital to make blockbuster trades.

BOTTOM LINE: The Chicago Cubs host the Kansas City Royals to begin a three-game series. Chicago has a 59-40 record overall and a 32-17 record in home games. The Cubs are third in MLB play with 148 total home runs, averaging 1.5 per game.