Kansas City Royals vs Detroit Tigers Preview
Wednesday’s matchup between the Tigers and Royals is set for 2:10 PM ET from Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. The forecast for today’s game features temperatures in the low 60s and scattered clouds.
Detroit is 23-25 this season, while the Royals are 31-19 and they are currently on a five-game winning streak. Cole Ragans will start for the Royals, and they are facing the Tigers, who will start Tarik Skubal. On the money line, the Tigers are favored, with their odds sitting at -119 compared to the Royals at -101. The over/under line is currently at 7.5 runs.
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Kansas City Royals Trends and Key Stats
- Over the course of their previous five away games, the Tigers have recorded a 2-3 record, with a 2-3 performance on the runline.
- Conversely, the Royals have achieved a 2-3 (SU) record and 2-3 record in their last five home games.
- The Tigers are 4-6 in their last ten games as the favorite and 3-7 as the underdog.
- 7-3 is the record of the Royals as the favorite, while their record as the underdog stands at 6-4.
Thanks to a four-run 2nd inning for the Royals’ offense, they cruised to a 10-3 win over the Tigers in the most recent game of this series. Heading into the game, the Royals were favored at -112 on the money line.
The starting pitching matchup for this game featured Alec Marsh for the Royals, and he went six innings while giving up three runs and picked up a win. Casey Mize got the start for the Tigers, going just 1 2/3 innings and giving up six runs, taking the loss.
Kansas City got a huge performance from Bobby Witt Jr., as he went 3/4 with two homers and six RBIs. Both Hunter Renfroe and Maikel Garcia each drove in two for the Royals’ offense.
Kansas City Royals vs Detroit Tigers Prediction
Detroit is 23-25 overall this season, and they are 8.5 games behind the Guardians for the AL Central lead. The Tigers have dropped three straight games, and they are losing the final game of the series vs. the Royals. So far, they have gone 10-8 in AL Central games.
At home, the Tigers are 10-13 this season, and they have gone 13-12 on the road. As the road favorite, the Tigers are 4-1 this year and 12-10 as the favorite overall. Detroit has struggled as the underdog this year, going 11-15. Looking at their overall record, the Tigers have gone 4-6 over their last 10 games.
When the Tigers are on the road, they have been a solid bet on the run line, going 15-10. Their average run margin on the road is +0.8, and they have covered the run line in three straight road games. As the underdog, they are 16-10 on the run line, while as the favorite, they are just 5-17.
The Detroit Tigers are on the road today against the Kansas City Royals with the over/under line set at 7.5 runs. The combined run average for Tigers games this season is 8.2 runs per game, and their over/under record is 25-21. Their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs, and when the line has been set at 7.5 runs, their over/under record is 9-6. Overall, 58.3% of their games have had over/under lines set higher than 7.5 runs, and their current over streak is at 5 games.
Tarik Skubal is getting the start for the Tigers today as he faces the Royals on the road. He has made nine starts this season and has a record of 6-0 with an ERA of 1.80. Skubal has been pitching well lately, as he has picked up the win in each of his last three outings. In his most recent start, he went six innings and didn’t give up a run. Skubal has made seven quality starts this year and is averaging 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings. Overall, he has 66 strikeouts compared to just 1.31 walks per nine innings.
The Tigers offense is averaging 4.1 runs per game this season, which is 18th in the league. At home, they have been even worse, averaging just 3.7 runs per contest. Detroit’s offense is also near the bottom of the league in home runs, as they are 21st in the league. As a team, the Tigers are batting .233, which is 15th in the MLB.
Riley Greene and Mark Canha are both tied for 2nd on the team with six homers, but Greene is batting just .240 for the season, and Canha is at .231. Kerry Carpenter has been the Tigers most consistent hitter this season, batting .276 with a team-high 25 RBIs. Over his last nine games, Carpenter is 9/30 with three homers. Colt Keith has also been swinging a hot bat, going 14/30 in his last nine games.
With an overall record of 31-19, the Royals are 2nd in the AL Central, trailing the Guardians by 1.5 games. The Royals have been playing well lately, winning five straight games, and they are 10-5 against other teams in the AL Central. Kansas City has taken the first two games of this series vs. the Tigers, and their overall series record is 8-7 this year.
At home, the Royals are 20-8 this season and have won six straight at home. On the road, the Royals are just 11-11 this year. As the favorite, the Royals have gone 16-6 this year and 15-13 as the underdog. Looking at their recent performance, the Royals are 7-3 over their last ten games.
The Royals have been a solid bet against the run line this season, with a 32-18 record. They have been especially good at home, going 19-9 against the run line. Their average run margin is +1.3 runs per game, and they have covered the run line in six straight games at home.
When the Kansas City Royals play at home, the over/under line is usually set at 7.5 runs. This season, the combined run average in their games is 8.2 runs per game. The over/under record for the Royals this season is 19-29, and their games have averaged a line of 8 runs. Their games have gone over the 7.5-run line in all four games this season when the line was set at 7.5 runs.
Cole Ragans is starting for the Royals today and comes into the game with a record of 3-3 and an ERA of 3.70. In his 10 starts, he has pitched six quality starts and has a WHIP of 1.20. Ragans has been much better on the road this season, with a record of 1-1 and an ERA of 2.82. At home, his ERA is 8.5, and he has allowed a total of three homers. In his most recent outing, Ragans didn’t allow a run in seven innings of work. Before that, he had given up at least two homers in three straight starts.
Salvador Perez has been on a tear of late for the Royals, hitting .412 over his last nine games, and he is also batting .343 for the season. Perez’s nine homers this season is 8th in the league and leads the Royals. He also has 39 RBIs, which is 4th best in the MLB. Over his last nine games, Bobby Witt Jr. has gone 9/35 with two homers and 10 RBIs.
As a team, the Royals are 8th in the league in scoring at 4.8 runs per game. At home, they have been even better, averaging 5.4 runs per contest. Overall, they are batting .249, which is 7th in the league, and are also near the top of the league in slugging and on-base percentage.
Our prediction for this Tigers vs. Royals matchup is to take the Royals on the money line at -101. Our predicted final score is 5-4 in favor of the Royals, giving us some wiggle room with the over/under line sitting at 7.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Cole Ragans finishing with five strikeouts, which is ninth worst among today’s starters. As for Tarik Skubal, he is projected to finish with six strikeouts, which is fourth best among starters.
Kansas City Royals vs Detroit Tigers Betting Tips
- Take the Tigers on the moneyline
- The Royals are also our pick on the run line at +1.5
- Projecting a combined 9 runs, we like the over
Kansas City Royals Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Jordan Lyles | Out | Personal |
| Carlos Hernández | Out | Shoulder |
| Josh Taylor | Out | Biceps |
| Kyle Wright | Out | Shoulder |
| Kris Bubic | Out | Elbow |
Detroit Tigers Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Shelby Miller | Out | Forearm |
| Kenta Maeda | Out | Illness |
| Reese Olson | Questionable | Hip |
| Sawyer Gipson-Long | Out | Elbow |
