The Detroit Tigers (23-24) travel to face off against the Kansas City Royals (30-19) on Tuesday, May 21st. This game will be played at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City and televised on BSKC. 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 7:40 ET.
Tigers vs Royals
Thanks to a six-run 6th inning for the Royals’ offense, they cruised to an easy 8-3 win over the Tigers in the most recent game of this series. Heading into the game, the Royals were favored at -111 on the money line.
The starting pitching matchup for this game featured Reese Olson for the Tigers, and he went just 2 2/3 innings while giving up one run and took the loss. Michael Wacha put together a good outing for the Royals, getting the win after going seven innings and giving up two earned runs.
Kansas City got a huge performance from Michael Massey, as he went 3/4 with a home run and three RBIs. Both Salvador Perez and Freddy Fermin each drove in two for the Royals’ offense.
Detroit is 23-24 overall and is 7.5 games behind the Guardians for the AL Central lead. They Tigers have dropped two straight games, and they lost the first game of this series vs. the Royals. So far, the Tigers have gone 10-7 in AL Central games.
At home, the Tigers are just under .500 at 10-13 this season. Detroit has been a bit better on the road, coming in with a record of 13-11. As the road favorite, the Tigers have gone 4-1 this year, and they are 12-10 when favored overall. As for their record as the underdog, the Tigers are 11-14 this year. Looking at their overall series record, the Tigers are 7-6-2 this year.
When betting on the Tigers this season, the run line has been a good option on the road, as they are 15-9 vs. the run line. Their average scoring margin on the road is +1.1 runs per game, and they have won by an average of 3.4 runs in their victories. However, they have failed to cover the run line in their last two road games. As a favorite, they are just 5-17 vs. the run line.
The Tigers have been trending toward the over recently, with the over hitting in four straight games. Their games have averaged 8.1 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 24-21. Their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs, but when the line has been set at 9 runs, the over has hit in three of four games. Only 2.1% of their games have had over/under lines set at 9 runs, with 89.4% of their games having lower lines. Their over/under record in games with lines set at 9 runs is 3-1.
Casey Mize Gets The Start For The Tigers
Casey Mize gets the start for the Tigers today as he faces off against the Royals on the road. He has made eight starts this year and has a record of 1-2 with an ERA of 3.50. Mize’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.19. In his last outing, he took the loss, giving up two earned runs in six innings of work. Before that, he had put together back-to-back quality starts. Mize has a total of four quality starts this year. Per nine innings, he is averaging 6.6 strikeouts and just 2.06 walks.
Tigers Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Tigers offense is averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 18th in the MLB. Their team batting average of .234 is 13th in the league, and they are also 18th in on-base percentage and slugging. Detroit has been better at the plate on the road this season, averaging 4.7 runs per game.
Both Kerry Carpenter and Mark Canha are tied for 2nd on the Tigers in home runs this season, with six apiece. Carpenter is the team’s top hitter so far, batting .285, and has gone 9/26 with three homers over his last eight games. Riley Greene has gone deep nine times this season, which is 8th in the league, and is batting .246 for the year.
Kansas City is 30-19 overall, putting them 2nd in the AL Central, 1.5 games behind the Guardians for the division lead. The Royals have won four straight games, and they are 7-3 over their last 10. They took the series opener vs. the Tigers and have an AL Central division record of 9-5.
At home, the Royals are 19-8 this year and an even 11-11 on the road. Kansas City has been really good as the favorite this year, going 15-6, and they are 15-13 as the underdog. The Royals have won five straight at home, and their overall series record is 8-7 this year.
The Royals have been a solid bet this season, covering the run line in 31 of their 49 games. They’ve been especially good at home, going 18-9 ATS. Their average run margin is +1.2 runs per game, and they’ve been even better at home, outscoring opponents by an average of 1.8 runs per game. They’ve covered the run line in five straight games and are 12-9 ATS as the favorite and 19-9 ATS as the underdog.
With an average combined run total of 8.1 runs per game, the Kansas City Royals have an over/under record of 18-29 on the season. Their games have averaged an over/under line of 8 runs per game, and when the line has been set at 9 runs, they have gone 3-4 on the season. The over has hit in two straight games, and this season, only 8.2% of their games have had a higher over/under line than today’s 9 runs.
Alec Marsh Gets The Start For The Royals
Through seven starts, Alec Marsh has a record of 3-1 and an ERA of 2.43 for the Royals. He has made one quality start this year and is coming off a rough outing in which he took the loss. Against the Mariners, Marsh gave up one earned run in five innings of work. Looking back at his last four outings, he has finished with a no-decision in three straight starts. Opponents are batting .207 off Marsh this year, and his ERA at home is 1.93 compared to 2.99 on the road.
Royals Offense Breakdown
Salvador Perez has been one of the league’s top power hitters this season, as his nine home runs are the best mark on the Royals and 8th best in the MLB. Perez is also batting .341 overall and has gone 12/29 in his last eight games. He is currently on a six-game hitting streak. Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino have also gone deep five times this season, but both are batting under .250 for the season.
As a team, the Royals are averaging 4.7 runs per game, which is 8th in the league. They have been even better at home, averaging 5.3 runs per game. Overall, they are the 8th best hitting team in the league, with a team batting average of .246.
Tigers vs Royals Prediction
Our prediction for today’s Tigers vs. Royals game is to take the Royals on the money line at -110. We have the Royals winning this one by a score of 6-4. At -110, we see this as a great value, as the payout is much better than the payout for the Royals on the run line.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Alec Marsh is projected to finish with six strikeouts, which is the seventh-best among today’s starters. As for Casey Mize, he is projected to finish with five, which is the ninth fewest.
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:May 21, 2024 Royals, Tigers