Royals vs. Rockies Prediction, MLB Picks for Friday, July 31

The Kansas City Royals vs. Colorado Rockies is set for 8:40 p.m. ET on Friday, July 31, with the Royals entering as road favorites, returning a 1.85x payout if they win, via PrizePicks.

Today’s matchup is Game 1 of a three-game series between these teams. Both squads are toward the bottom of their respective divisions and are all but certain to be watching playoff baseball from home this year. Which team will be able to grab some momentum heading into the final third of the season?

Below, we'll break down our Royals vs. Rockies prediction and picks for Friday’s MLB game, including the spread, over/under, and key player picks for PrizePicks.

Make your Royals vs. Rockies picks on PrizePicks now.

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Royals vs. Rockies Prediction, Winner Payout, Over/Under – Friday, July 31

It’s been a disappointing season for the Royals, who had expectations of potentially winning their division. Instead, they have been riddled with injuries and simply unable to gain any momentum this season.

Kansas City is currently playing without three of its best hitters: SS Bobby Witt Jr., 3B Maikel Garcia, and 1B Vinnie Pasquantino. The Royals sit at 46-64 and are 12 games out of first place in the AL Central.

The motto for the Colorado Rockies has been to lower the expectations and avoid disappointment, and this season has once again fit that billing. The Rockies are tied for the worst record in baseball at 42-67, but somehow the vibes aren’t that bad in Denver. This team only won 43 total games in 2025, so they are bound to take a substantial step forward this season.

Colorado has unlocked key pieces in the foundation of this team going forward, including OF Cole Carrigg, C Hunter Goodman, and 1B TJ Rumfield. With a season or two of development, and perhaps some pitching waiting in the wings, this could be a team that competes for a wild card spot in the future.

Royals vs. Rockies Winner Payout, Over/Under – Friday, July 31

The Royals enter Friday’s game as slight road favorites against the Rockies, returning a 1.85x payout if they win outright, via PrizePicks Team Picks.

Here are the full payouts for the Royals vs. Rockies game on PrizePicks.

Make your Royals vs. Rockies prediction on the winner or over/under on PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money — available in 36 states!

Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.

Royals vs. Rockies Prediction on Winner – 7/31/26

Here are the key game stats and trends behind our Royals vs. Rockies prediction on the winner for Friday, July 31.

Data used in this article is from Baseball Savant or FanGraphs.

• Despite the worst record in baseball, the Rockies have the 10th-best record against the spread (ATS) at 57-52 (52.3%).
• The Royals, meanwhile, are 51-59-0 (46.4%) ATS, the seventh-worst covering record in baseball.
• Kansas City has dealt with serious bullpen issues this year. Over the last 30 days, the unit ranks 28th in bullpen xFIP (4.74).
• The Rockies pen is 18th over that same timespan with a 4.35 xFIP.
• Royals SP Michael Wacha is likely due for some negative regression with his 4.38 xFIP sitting nearly a full run above his 3.60 ERA.
• Wacha has also struggled on the road with a 4.54 xFIP outside of Kansas City compared to 4.19 at home.
• While Rockies SP Tomoyuki Sugano is nothing to write home about, Colorado is coming off an off day, so its bullpen will be fully rested and available to potentially put out a fire.

Lock in your Royals vs. Rockies prediction on PrizePicks before the first pitch.

Royals vs. Rockies Picks, Player Stats for PrizePicks – 7/31/26

Here are the top Royals vs. Rockies picks to target on PrizePicks for Friday, July 31. Today’s MLB picks for PrizePicks include Michael Wacha and Tomoyuki Sugano.

Royals SP Michael Wacha vs. Rockies: 4.5 Strikeouts

• Wacha is in the midst of his second-worst strikeout season as a professional (7.07 K/9).
• The Rockies youth movement has meant adding bats that bring low strikeout numbers. Over the last 30 days, they have the ninth-lowest strikeout rate in baseball (21.7%).
• Wacha has a lower strikeout rate on the road, with a 6.9 K/9 away from Kauffman Stadium compared to 7.18 K/9 at home.
• Michael Wacha generates very few swinging strikes, as his 8.8% SwStr rate being by far the lowest of his career.

Add Michael Wacha to your PrizePicks Lineup now.

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Rockies SP Tomoyuki Sugano vs. Royals: 85.5 Pitches Thrown

• Sugano is averaging 86.1 pitches per start this season, but tonight is a spot where he could come in below that number.
• As mentioned, the Rockies had a day off yesterday and enter this game with a fully rested pen. This could lead to a quicker hook with Sugano should he struggle early.
• The Royals have just a 7.0% walk rate over the last 30 days, suggesting Sugano could rack up some fairly quick outs.
• Sugano has surpassed this projection just once in his last four outings.
• Lastly, Sugano's 7.22 xERA sits well above his 4.69 ERA, which opens the door to simply being lit up and yanked from the game earlier than expected.

Add Tomoyuki Sugano to your PrizePicks Lineup now.

Make Royals vs. Rockies Picks on PrizePicks

The Rockies are coming off four straight losses, while the Royals blew a 3-0 lead with two outs in the ninth inning of their last game. Which one of these franchises will get the jump on this three-game series?

Don’t wait until lock — make your Royals vs. Rockies picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right.

Pick players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in if you’re right. With Team Picks, you can make predictions on game winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 36 states.

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