The Detroit Tigers are playing host to their division foe Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park. Fox Sports Kansas City will televise the matchup and the game gets underway at 1:10 p.m. ET.
Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers Odds
Detroit (-140) is favored over Kansas City (+130) and Vegas has set the Over/Under for this one at 8.5 runs. The odds for betting on the games total stand at -110 for both the over and the under. Gamblers can also bet on the games spread with the current runline odds sitting at Royals +1.5 runs (-170) and Tigers +-1.5 runs (+150).
The Royals are just 4-15 SU and have gone 8-10 against the spread (ATS). They’ve lost 9.2 units for bettors taking the moneyline in this young season and 4.8 units ATS. Kansas City is 3-4 ATS over its last seven games and the under has hit in three of those seven. The Tigers, on the other hand, are 9-10 SU and 9-9 ATS. The team has lost 1.1 units for bettors taking the moneyline and 0.3 units ATS. Detroit has covered the spread four times in its last seven games and the over has hit in four of those seven.
Detroit games have a 7-11 over/under record so far in 2018. Kansas City has an over/under record of 6-11-1.
Eric Skoglund will get the start for Kansas City. The southpaw Skoglund is 0-2 with a 9.31 ERA and seven strikeouts. He has yet to face the Tigers this year and only made one start against them in 2017 (1-0, 0.00 ERA and five strikeouts over six and one-third innings).
The Tigers will put the ball in the left hand of Francisco Liriano (2-1, 2.55 ERA, 1.13 WHIP), who’s got 14 strikeouts and eight walks this season. Liriano is 1-0 with three strikeouts and a 1.35 ERA in one start against Kansas City this year.
As a unit, Detroit’s pitchers have allowed 4.3 runs per game overall in 2018. Its starting pitching staff has an ERA of 3.73, a WHIP of 1.25 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 6.6. The bullpen has a 3.89 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 8.7 K/9. In 12 games against divisional foes, Tigers starters have an ERA of 3.19 and the bullpens ERA is 1.84.
The Detroit offense is putting up 4.7 runs per outing, including 3.7 per game against divisional foes and 7.2 per game over its last five. The teams hit .324/.373/.570 over its last five matchups and is 4-1 SU during that stretch.
First baseman Miguel Cabrera and third baseman Jeimer Candelario have led the Tigers hitters so far. Cabrera is hitting .299/.392/.463 with 20 hits, 13 RBIs and eight runs scored, and Candelario is batting .275 with three homers, 10 RBIs and five runs.
Cabrera seemed to enjoy hitting lefty pitching at home last year, slashing .342/.405/.553 across 42 such plate appearances (compared to his total season line of .249/.329/.397).
In the other dugout, Kansas City’s pitching staff allowed 5.6 runs per game and its starters own a 3.75 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 7.34 K/9. The bullpen has an ERA of 8.41, along with a WHIP of 1.23.
Royals hitters have slashed .241/.307/.352 on their way to 3.2 runs scored per game this year, including 2.5 runs per game against divisional foes and 3.6 per game over the teams last five contests (1-4 SU).
Third baseman Mike Moustakas and right fielder Jorge Soler have led Kansas City’s hitters. Moustakas is slashing .325/.349/.600 with five home runs, 14 RBIs and 11 runs scored, while Soler (.280/.383/.420) has produced one homers, two RBIs and four runs scored.
Soler did not do as well batting in road games last season. Over 57 plate appearances, he put up a slash line of .80/.193/.120 (compared to his overall season line of .144/.245/.258).
The Royals have lost 2.0 units and are 3-5 ATS when facing a lefty starter this season. The over has cashed in three of those games, compared to five that’ve gone under in such games. On the other hand, the Tigers have lost 1.0 units and are 0-1 ATS when facing a left-handed starting pitcher. The overs hit in one of those games, compared to zero which went under the total.
Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers Free Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Tigers, ATS Winner – Royals, O/U – OVER
Betting Notes
- The Royals have hit nine home runs in their last 10 games, including six over their last five.
- Detroit has posted 24.5 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 outings and 30.4 over its last five.
- The Tigers have won five of their last six games SU.
