The Kansas City Royals (61-49) travel to face off against the Detroit Tigers (52-58) on Friday, August 2nd. This game will be played at Comerica Park in Detroit and televised on APLTV. The Royals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Tigers are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Royals. First pitch is set for 5:40 CT.
Royals vs. Tigers Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Royals (-101)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 7 Runs
- The Royals have won 4 of their last 5 games, indicating strong recent form.
- In their last 5 away games, the Royals have scored an average of 7.2 runs per game.
- The Royals have a 4-game winning streak, showcasing their current momentum.
- In their last 3 games against the Tigers, the Royals have outscored them 25-6.
- The Royals have a better divisional record (23-10) compared to the Tigers (19-20).
Royals vs Tigers
Thanks to a three-home run performance from Vinnie Pasquantino and a good outing from Seth Lugo, the Royals cruised to a 7-1 win over the Tigers in the most recent game of this series. Heading into the game, the Royals were favored at -163 on the money line.
Kansas City got off to a fast start in the first, scoring three runs and adding two more in the 2nd. As for the Tigers, they got on the board with one run in the 4th but couldn’t muster anything else.
Lugo went eight innings for the Royals, giving up just one run and striking out three. He picked up a win in the game, while Keider Montero took the loss for the Tigers, going seven innings and giving up four earned runs.
After winning four straight games, the Royals are 61-49 this season and are six games behind the Guardians in the AL Central. On the run line, they have a 63-47 record, including 29-23 on the road. Their average run margin per game is +0.8.
For games with an over/under line of 7 runs, the Royals have a 4-2-1 record this season. The average run total in their games is 8.6, and their over/under record is 46-61. Heading into today’s game, 93.6% of their games have had over/under lines higher than 7 runs.
Cole Ragans Gets The Start For The Royals
Cole Ragans will be looking to bounce back from his last outing, where he took the loss vs. the Cubs. In that start, he went 5 2/3 innings, giving up four earned runs, and one homer. Looking at his overall numbers, Ragans has made 22 starts and has a record of 7-7. His ERA for the season is 3.37, along with a WHIP of 1.17. Opponents have hit .218 off Ragans this season. One positive note for the left-hander is that he has 15 quality starts this year. Ragans’ ERA at home is 5.85, compared to 2.85 on the road.
Royals Offense Breakdown
For the season, the Royals are averaging 4.7 runs per game, which is good for 9th in the league. At home, they have been even better, averaging 5.2 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .252, which is 7th best in the MLB right now.
Bobby Witt Jr. has been on a tear of late, going 15/31 in his last eight games, with two homers and eight RBIs. For the season, he is batting .350 with 20 homers and 78 RBIs. Salvador Perez is also having a strong season, with a batting average of .278 and 19 homers.
As underdogs, the Tigers have gone 42-26 against the run line, but as favorites, they are 12-30. Detroit’s average run margin in wins is +3.6, while in losses, it’s -3.5. Overall, the Tigers are 13-16-5 in series this season and have lost two straight series.
In the AL Central, the Tigers are 15 games behind the Guardians with a 52-58 record. They have lost four consecutive games, including the first game of this series vs. the Royals. Detroit’s over/under record in games with a total of 7 runs is 5-5, and the over has hit in 88.2% of their games this season.
Tarik Skubal Gets The Start For The Tigers
Tarik Skubal has been pitching great for the Tigers, coming into the game with a record of 12-3 and an ERA of 2.35. He has made 21 starts this year and has a WHIP of .92. Skubal has turned in 16 quality starts and is coming off an outing in which he gave up just one earned run in seven innings of work. In that start, he finished with eight strikeouts. Skubal has won each of his last three starts. Per nine innings, he is averaging 10.66 strikeouts. Skubal has been especially tough at home, going 7-0 with a 1.96 ERA.
Tigers Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Tigers are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 21st in the league. This is the same number of runs they are averaging on the road and at home. As a team, they are batting just .230, which is 20th in the league, and have an on-base percentage of just .295. Detroit’s team OPS of .677 is also one of the worst marks in the league.
Riley Greene has been a bright spot for the Tigers this season, as he is batting .264 with a team-high 51 RBIs and 17 homers. He is also on a 3 game hitting streak. Matt Vierling is also near the top of the team’s home run and RBI charts, with 13 homers and 42 RBIs.
Royals vs Tigers Prediction
Our predicted final score for this one is 5-4 in favor of the Royals. So, we like the Royals to win this one straight up, and with the money line payout sitting at -101, that is the route we recommend going.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we do have Tarik Skubal finishing with more strikeouts than Cole Ragans. However, Skubal is not projected to pick up as many wins as Ragans, and we have him going 6 innings compared to Ragans at 5.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:August 2, 2024 Royals, Tigers