A day off on Thursday could not have come at a better time for the Royals. I see the defending world champions ending their slump here while taking a nice plus price to back that opinion.

Royals starter Yordano Ventura has allowed two or fewer earned runs in four of his five starts this season. He is 4-1 lifetime against Cleveland with a 2.62 ERA. The Royals have won five of the past six times Ventura has started against the Indians. Ventura is pitching on extra rest, too. Kansas City is 20-7 when Ventura has pitched on five days rest.

Cleveland is a solid favorite because it has Danny Salazar on the mound. Salazar has pitched well, particularly against right-handed batters. But he has a losing record in nine career starts versus Kansas City with a 4.64 ERA. The Royals also feature key three lefties in their lineup, including Eric Hosmer. He's 8-for-20 lifetime against Salazar with six extra base hits.