Kansas City Royals (82-67) vs Detroit Tigers (76-73)
Game Info: Tuesday, September 17, 2024 at 7:40 pm (Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium)
Cole Ragans (11-9) (3.38) vs Casey Mize (2-6) (4.56)
Betting Odds: Kansas City Royals -161 / Detroit Tigers +135 --- Over/Under: 8.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
Where to Watch: Bally Sports Kansas City, Bally Sports Detroit Stream the MLB Game of the Day all season on ESPN+. Sign up now!
The Detroit Tigers and the Kansas City Royals square off Tuesday in MLB action from Kauffman Stadium. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Detroit Tigers vs. Kansas City Royals prediction.
Starting Pitching Matchup
The Detroit Tigers will send out Casey Mize for the start here and Mize is 2-6 with a 4.47 ERA and 71 strikeouts this season. In his last five starts against the Royals, Mize is 0-1 with a 6.98 ERA and 15 strikeouts. Cole Ragans will get the nod for Kansas City here and is 11-9 with a 3.32 ERA and 211 strikeouts this season. In his career, Ragans is 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA and 26 strikeouts against Detroit.
Detroit Tigers Recap
The Detroit Tigers will look to keep the ball rolling after their series-opening 7-6 win over the Royals in Monday’s matchup. The win kept the good vibes going for Detroit after series wins over the Orioles, Rockies, and A’s over the last week and a half.
Tigers Trying To Crash Playoff Field
Going into Monday’s opener, Riley Greene has 123 hits including 23 home runs and 69 RBIs along with 25 doubles, 6 triples, a .265 batting average, and a .354 OBP in addition to a team-high 140 strikeouts this season. Matt Vierling also has 125 hits as well as 5 triples and 26 doubles with 16 home runs and 54 RBIs while Wenceel Perez has 5 triples and 9 stolen bases. Colt Keith also has 12 home runs and 56 RBIs as well this year while Zach McKinstry has 15 stolen bases.
Why the Detroit Tigers will win
- The Tigers have won each of their last six road games against AL Central opponents.
- The Royals have lost seven of their last eight Tuesday games as favorites.
- The Tigers have covered the run line in each of their last 11 games as road underdogs against American League opponents.
- The Royals have failed to cover the run line in each of their last eight Tuesday games as favorites.
Kansas City Royals Recap
The Kansas City Royals will try to rebound from their series-opening loss against the Tigers on Monday. The loss wasn’t the ideal start to the series for the Royals who are trying to build on a series win over the Pirates from this past weekend.
Royals Looking To Get Closer To AL Wild Card
Entering Monday’s action, Bobby Witt Jr. leads the Royals with 198 hits including 31 home runs, 103 RBIs, and team-highs of 11 triples and 43 doubles with 28 stolen bases and a .331 batting average. Salvador Perez also has 27 home runs with 102 RBIs and 27 doubles. Maikel Garcia has 7 home runs, 57 RBIs, and 36 stolen bases along with 5 triples and 27 doubles this season. Vinnie Pasquantino has 30 doubles with 19 homers and 97 RBIs of his own on the year.
Why the Kansas City Royals will win
- The Tigers have lost each of their last six games as road underdogs against AL Central opponents following a road win.
- The Royals have won each of their last six games as favorites against AL Central opponents following a home loss.
- The Royals have covered the run line in each of their last four games as home favorites against AL Central opponents following a home loss.
- The Tigers have failed to cover the run line in six of their last eight games at Kauffman Stadium.
Tigers vs. Royals Prediction
I’m going to back the Royals. I got burned with Kansas City on Monday and the bullpen let it get away from KC in that one, but Mize has really struggled to find his footing this year and hasn’t really been anything special since coming back into the fold for the Tigers off of his injury. Ragans has been up and down, but the Tigers have had issues against left-handed pitching as of late and I think this is a good bounce-back spot for KC here. Give me the Royals.
Chris’s Pick Kansas City -161
AUTHOR: Chris Ruffolo
Follow Chris Ruffolo on Twitter @ruffthepickdawg