Whit Merrifield and the Kansas City Royals will be taking on their AL Central rival Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park in a Sunday showdown. The matchup will get underway at 1:10 p.m. ET and fans can tune in to Fox Sports Kansas City to catch the action.
Kansas City Royals vs. Detroit Tigers Odds
Bookmakers have Detroit (+115) as the underdog to Kansas City (-125). If you’re thinking the game’s total is going to go under 9 runs scored, then bookmakers are currently offering -110 odds. Taking the over will give you -110 odds. There’s a runline of Royals -1.5 (+120) and Tigers +1.5 (-140) for this matchup.
The Tigers are 35-79 straight up (SU) and 46-67 against the spread (ATS). They’ve lost 29.5 units for moneyline bettors and 29.1 units ATS. Detroit has a 3-4 ATS mark over its last seven games and the total has gone over in four of those seven. The Royals are 42-76 SU and have gone 54-63 ATS. Overall, the team’s lost 22.1 units for moneyline gamblers and 21.5 units ATS. Kansas City has covered the spread only once in its last seven games and the over has cashed in four of those seven.
Tigers games have had an over/under record of 51-54-8 in 2019. The Royals have an over/under record of 57-52-8.
Jakob Junis will get the nod for Kansas City. The right-handed Junis is 7-10 with a 4.88 ERA and 130 strikeouts. He’s 0-0 with 13 strikeouts and a 3.46 ERA against Detroit this year (two starts).
The Tigers are handing the ball to lefty Daniel Norris (3-9, 4.76 ERA), who’s got 98 strikeouts and 31 walks as well as a WHIP of 1.41. Norris is 0-0 with eight strikeouts and a 5.63 ERA in one start against Kansas City this year.
Kansas City’s pitchers have allowed 5.2 runs per game and its starting pitchers own a 5.20 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 7.54 K/9. The bullpen has logged an ERA of 4.77, along with a K-per-9 of 8.46.
The Royals offense has slashed .245/.311/.402 on its way to 4.3 runs scored per game this season, including 4.6 runs per game against divisional foes and 5.6 per game over the team’s last five outings (2-3 SU).
Kansas City’s offensive production has been led by second baseman Whit Merrifield and left fielder Alex Gordon, who collectively have belted 25 home runs. Merrifield is slashing .305/.360/.486 with 13 home runs, 59 RBIs, 81 runs and 16 steals, while Gordon has a .265 average with 12 homers, 63 RBIs and 62 runs scored.
In the other dugout, Detroit’s pitchers have given up 5.6 runs per game overall this season. The team’s starters have an ERA of 5.19, a WHIP of 1.41 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 8.4. The bullpen has a 5.10 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 8.2 K/9. In 49 divisional games, Tigers starters have an ERA of 6.14 and the bullpen’s ERA is 5.27.
Detroit’s hitters have put up 3.7 runs per outing, including 4.1 per game against divisional foes and 5.2 per game over their last five. The team has hit .282/.358/.447 over its last five games and is 3-2 SU during that stretch.
Nicholas Castellanos and Miguel Cabrera have led the Tigers’ hitters this year. Castellanos is slashing .273/.328/.462 with 11 home runs, 37 RBIs and 57 runs scored, while Cabrera’s line is .285/.348/.392 with eight homers, 46 RBIs and 31 runs.
The Royals have lost 5.3 units and are 14-18 ATS when facing a left-handed starting pitcher this year. The over has hit in 14 of those games, compared to 14 that’ve gone under in such games. On the other hand, the Tigers have lost 29.9 units and are 34-57 ATS when facing a righty starter. The over’s hit in 37 of those games, compared to 48 that went under.
Royals vs. Tigers Free Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Royals, ATS Winner – Royals, O/U – UNDER
Betting Trends
- The over has cashed in four of Detroit’s last seven games.
- The Kansas City defense has coughed up seven errors over the last 10 games, compared to 12 errors for Detroit over its last 10.
- The Royals have hit 18 home runs in their last 10 games, including 13 over their last five.
- The Royals have a total OPS of .713 this season and an OPS of .699 when facing left-handed pitchers. The Tigers’ OPS stands at .682 overall and .700 against lefties.
