Two teams attempting to stay out of the basement in the AL Central, the Kansas City Royals will visit The Motor City to square off with the Detroit Tigers to kick off a divisional weekend series. It is time to take an inclusive look at our MLB odds series, where our Royals-Tigers prediction and pick will be made.
Twenty games under the .500 mark at 27-47, the Royals have shown through 74 games of the season that they are in rebuild mode. While this may not be surprising for fans within the Kansas City area, rebuilding mode certainly takes some patience in trying to achieve a winning formula in the long run. Luckily, the Royals are in for a winnable game against Detroit as they send out RHP Brad Keller to tame the cats.
Similarly to the Royals, the Tigers' season has not panned out the way it had planned, but they will try to keep their very slim playoff hopes alive with a win in front of the home fans. Detroit has yet to announce a starter for this Friday tilt, so stay updated in the coming hours to see who they call upon to combat Kansas City's bats.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Royals-Tigers MLB odds.
MLB Odds: Royals-Tigers Odds
Kansas City Royals: -1.5 (+160)
Detroit Tigers: +1.5 (-194)
Over: 8.5 (-105)
Under: 8.5 (-115)
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Why The Royals Could Cover the Spread
Currently in last place in the division, not a whole lot has gone the Royals' way in 2022. With fans slowly trading the Salvador Perez jerseys for Patrick Mahomes ones as the baseball season has reached July, Kansas City must do something quickly in order to play some meaningful ball down the stretch.
The Royals were able to snap a four-game losing streak on Wednesday by downing the Rangers 2-1, and a similar recipe for success should be noted to win back-to-back games and get their season turned around.
While the bats could've showed up a little bit more, it was the excellence of Zach Grienke that led to the Royals coming out triumphant. This was an encouraging sign for Kansas City's pitching and the Royals as a whole, as they have limped their way to a 4.99 ERA. The Royals might as well be throwing beach balls over the plate, as opposing offenses are also hitting .266 off of them. It has been a hot minute since KC mustered up quality outings in two consecutive games by starters, but there is an opportunity on Friday against a sluggish Tigers hitting squad.
Righty Brad Keller wasn't his best self in his last start, but if he can have a repeat of his performance from his outing on June 18th in which he dialed up seven scoreless innings, then Kansas City will be looking peachy in covering the spread against their division rivals.
Why The Tigers Could Cover the Spread
In a battle of two teams stuck in the mud on Friday, the Tigers must figure out a way to get moving before they find themselves sinking in quicksand. On paper, the Tigers appear to be the more well-rounded team, but their poor record has said otherwise. Only two games up on the Royals in the division does Detroit have what it takes to send the fans at Comerica Park with smiles on their faces.
To begin, the Tigers will need to figure out who is taking the ball to start versus Kansas City. While they may end up going with a bullpen approach this evening, a repeat of their 3-2 win over the Giants surely would not hurt. The pitching performance throughout the year hasn't been perfect, but it can definitely surprise when they are clicking on all cylinders. With an average team ERA of 4.10 and a 1.26 WHIP through 74 games, the Tigers will be squaring off with a Royals team that has more holes in their bats than not.
Pitching will most likely have to lead the troops to victory, as not many teams in baseball have been as inadequate as Detroit this season. Bottom line, the Tigers have not been able to score runs, as they rank dead last in that department with only 222 runners crossing the plate thus far. If there are any positives to take away from this unit, it is that aging slugger Miguel Cabrera is quietly stringing together a productive season. Now in his 20th season as a big-leaguer, Cabrera is raking .300 and still remains a tough out even with his power numbers considerably down.
Final Royals-Tigers Prediction & Pick
Not many average baseball viewers may have their eyes glued to this matchup on Friday, but betting implications are still in play. This one should be a low-scoring, close affair as one side should capitalize on another team's mistake late to grasp a series opening victory. Side with Detroit and their ability to come out victorious at home.
Final Royals-Tigers Pick: Tigers +1.5 (-194)
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