It is game two of an AL Central series as the Detroit Tigers visit the Kansas City Royals. It is time to continue our MLB odds series with a Tigers-Royals pick, prediction, and how-to-watch.
Yesterday it was a three-run double by Javier Baez that gave the Tigers the win in the tenth inning. That was only the Tigers' second win in the last five games, but at 21-24, they are sitting in second plan in the AL Central, just 2.5 games back of the Twins. The Royals have now lost eight of their last ten games, and are just 14-25 on the season. They are in last place in the AL Central, a full five games behind Chicago who is fourth.
Here are the Tigers-Royals MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Tigers-Royals Odds
Detroit Tigers: -1.5 (+106)
Kansas City Royals: +1.5 (-128)
Over: 9 (-115)
Under: 9 (-105)
How To Watch Tigers vs. Royals
TV: BSDET/BSKC
Stream: MLB.TV
Time: 7:40 p.m. ET/ 4:40 p.m. PT
*See how to watch Tigers-Royals LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Tigers Could Cover The Spread
The Tigers do not score a lot of runs. They have scored 165 runs this year, which is last in the majors. They are also not in a position to score a lot of runs either, sitting 26th in batting average and 29th in on-base percentage. Yet, the Tigers are still finding ways to win games. Ten of the Tigers' 21 wins have either been by one run, or in extra innings this year. Another five of their wins have been by just two runs. The Tigers find a way to get it done in close games this year.
Riley Greene has been getting hot recently. In May, he is hitting .368 with an OBP of .419. In that time, he has scored ten runs and driven in nine. When he has a hit this month, the Tigers are 9-0. When he fails to get a hit, the Tigers are just 2-6. Riley Green has been the cog that is making this machine run this month, and if he can pick up a few more hits today, it could mean another win for the Tigers.
Spencer Torkelson is also starting to heat up. On May 3rd Torkelson was hitting just .198 on the season, but he has raised his batting average to .235 as of today. He is hitting .275 this month and driven in ten runs. With him and Riley Greene, if they continue trending in the right direction, the Tigers could be able to contend in the AL Central.
Eduardo Rodriguez will be on the hill for the Tigers tonight. This year he is 4-3 with a 2.06 ERA. This year, Rodriguez has seven starts in which he has pitched at least 5.2 innings and given up one or fewer runs. In the other three starts, He has given up three or four runs and come away with a loss.
Why The Royals Could Cover The Spread
The Royals have not named a starting pitcher for todays game. It may not matter much as this is one of the worst pitching staffs in the majors. They currently have a team ERA of 5.22, with a 1.44 WHIP, both in the bottom five in the majors. The starters have been a major issue for the Royals. They have just seven quality starts in the year, which is last in the majors. With Zack Greinke slated to go tomorrow in the series finale, the Royals may employ an opener in this game. That may not be best for the future though. Greinke is older and may not be able to go deep into a game, so burning through the bullpen could have implications tomorrow.
For the Royals to get a win, it has to start with scoring. Salvador Perez needs to be leading that. He is the team leader in home runs and runs batted in this year. He is having a solid May, hitting .296 this month with 14 RBIs. Vinnie Pasquantino sits second in both RBIs and home runs forthe Royals. He has been struggling more than Perez this month. He is hitting just .224 on the month but has hit four home runs. Most of his runs driven in this month have been via home runs though, and the Royals need to put Pasquantino into positions where he can drive in runs, not off of the long ball.
Final Tigers-Royals Prediction & Pick
With both teams struggling to score, the only way the over hits in this game is a random offensive explosion against a poor pitcher put out by the Royals. Still, the Royals do not have depth at the starting pitching spot, and that will be their downfall today. Without that depth, not having a starter due to injury will be an issue. The best pitcher for the Royals went just last night, and Greinke is going tomorrow, so options are limited. With that, take the Tigers to win and cover in this game.
Final Tigers-Royals Prediction & Pick: Tigers -1.5 (+106)
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