The Miami Marlins host the Kansas City Royals on Sunday, July 20, 2025. First pitch from loanDepot Park is scheduled for 1:40 p.m. ET; the game will be broadcast on FDSKC and MLB.TV.
The Royals are looking to avoid a sweep on the road, and they will send Kris Bubic to the mound to stop the Marlins, who will trust Janson Junk.
Find my Royals vs Marlins prediction and MLB betting preview below, as well as probable pitchers, betting trends, injury reports and more.
Royals vs Marlins Prediction
- Royals vs. Marlins picks: Royals ML (-123 · DraftKings)
My Marlins vs. Royals best bet is on Kansas City to win this game. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Royals vs Marlins Odds
| Royals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Run Line | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +138 | 7.5 -108o / -112u | -126 |
| Marlins Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Run Line | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -169 | 7.5 -108o / -112u | +104 |
Royals vs Marlins Projected Starting Pitchers
| LHP Kris Bubic (KC) | Stat | RHP Janson Junk (MIA) |
|---|---|---|
| 7-6 | W-L | 4-1 |
| 3.1 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 1.6 |
| 2.48 / 3.08 | ERA / xERA | 2.68 / 3.71 |
| 2.75 / 3.40 | FIP / xFIP | 2.14 / 3.42 |
| 1.16 | WHIP | 0.99 |
| 17.9 | K-BB% | 17.3 |
| 45.9 | GB% | 41.4 |
| 94 | Stuff+ | 93 |
| 105 | Location+ | 117 |
Royals vs Marlins MLB Betting Preview
The Marlins are a streaky team, and while they've won four straight, we must consider that they had lost the previous three games.
Kansas City starter Kris Bubic is enjoying another great season, lowering his ERA for the third year in a row so far. He has given up three or fewer runs in his last five games and induces ground balls at a 45.9% clip.
Against the Miami offense, that should do, especially considering they suffer against left-handed pitchers. The Marlins rank 20th in wRC+ with 96, but fall to the 24th spot versus southpaws with 79 wRC+.
To support Bubic, the Royals' bats will need to step up against Janson Junk, who's having a great year.
The best choice, nonetheless, will be to attack the Marlins' bullpen once Junk leaves the game. The Miami relievers rank 19th in the majors with a 4.05 ERA.
The Kansas City offense has improved, climbing up to the 14th spot in wRC+ (102) in July, with a .247 average and a .432 slugging percentage.
In this closely contested matchup, Bobby Witt Jr. and, particularly, Salvador Perez could be the key for the visiting team. In the last 15 days, Perez has a .364 average, .879 slugging percentage, 1.311 OPS and five home runs.
This bodes well for our Bet Labs recommendation to back the visiting team.
Royals vs Marlins Pick, Betting Analysis
The "Road Tilt in the Dead Heat" system targets MLB regular-season games where two evenly matched teams — based on win percentage — meet in a non-division setting, and one is quietly priced as a modest road favorite.
When there's no clear performance gap but the market still tilts slightly toward the road team, it suggests underlying confidence from oddsmakers that may not be reflected in public perception.
This model seizes those subtle cues, leaning into narrow value created by near-identical records and overlooked road strength.
Pick: Royals ML -123
