| MATCHUP | Detroit Tigers | Kansas City Royals |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 18-21 | 18-21 |
| Spread | +1.5 -175 | -1.5 144 |
| Moneyline | +113 | -136 |
| Total | Over 9.5 (101) | Under 9.5 (-122) |
| Where | Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri | |
| When | Saturday, May 9, 2026 | |
| Time | 07:10 PM EDT | |
| TV | MLB.TV | |
Detroit Tigers Betting Preview
The Detroit Tigers are 18-21 on the year and play the Mets and Blue Jays next. The Detroit Tigers are batting .244 on the season and have a .326 OBP, and a .393 slugging percentage. The Detroit Tigers pitching staff has a 3.89 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. Riley Greene leads the Detroit Tigers with 43 hits and 19 RBI, while Colt Keith and Kevin McGonigle have combined for 75 hits and 22 RBI.
Burch Smith gets the ball for the Detroit Tigers, and he is 0-1 with a 1.59 ERA and 16 strikeouts this season. This will be Smith’s second career game against the Kansas City Royals.
Kansas City Royals Betting Preview
The Kansas City Royals are 18-21 on the year and play the White Sox and Cardinals next. The Kansas City Royals are batting .241 on the season, have a .320 OBP, and have a .390 slugging percentage. The Kansas City Royals pitching staff has a 4.31 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP. Bobby Witt Jr. leads the Kansas City Royals with 46 hits and 17 RBI while Maikel Garcia and Salvador Perez have combined for 68 hits and 32 RBI.
Michael Wacha gets the ball for the Kansas City Royals, and he is 3-2 with a 3.05 ERA and 36 strikeouts this season. Wacha is 2-3 with a 3.32 ERA and 44 strikeouts in his career against the Detroit Tigers.
Why the Kansas City Royals will win
- The Tigers have lost eight of their last nine night games following a road loss.
- The Royals have won seven of their last eight night games against American League opponents following a home win.
- The Royals have covered the run line each of their last seven Saturday games against American League opponents that held a losing record.
- The Tigers have failed to cover the run line in five of their last six night games against AL Central opponents.
Why the Detroit Tigers will win
- The Tigers have won six of their last seven games as underdogs against the Royals.
- The Royals have lost four of their last five games as favorites against AL Central opponents following a home win.
- The Tigers have covered the run line in each of their last six games against the Royals following a loss.
- The Royals have failed to cover the run line in each of their last four home games against the Tigers following a win.
Total Runs Facts
- Eight of the last nine games between the Tigers and Royals at Kauffman Stadium have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- Four of the Tigers’ last five games against AL Central opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of Michael Wacha’s last six appearances as a starter against the Tigers.
- The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in eight of the Tigers’ last nine games as underdogs.
Kansas City Royals Player Prop Facts
- Bobby Witt Jr. has hit a home run in three of the Royals’ last five games as home favorites against AL opponents.
- Michael Wacha has recorded five or more strikeouts in nine of his last 10 appearances in night games against AL Central teams that held a losing record.
- Michael Wacha has recorded a win in nine of his last 10 appearances in night games against AL Central teams that held a losing record.
- Starling Marte has recorded at least one hit in each of his 11 previous appearances at Kauffman Stadium.
- Bobby Witt Jr. ranks T6th in the league in Hits (46) this season.
Detroit Tigers Player Prop Facts
- Kerry Carpenter has hit a home run in three of his last four Saturday appearances against AL teams that held a losing record.
- Javier Baez has recorded at least one hit in each of his last eight road appearances against AL Central opponents.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Royals rank T8th in the league for doubles this season (65).
- The Royals rank 21st in the league for RBIs this season (154).
- The Tigers rank T4th in the league for home runs allowed this season (32).
- The Tigers rank T7th in the league for triples this season (6).
Detroit Tigers vs Kansas City Royals Prediction
The Tigers are having a week from hell and they’re getting harder to trust, especially on the road, where they have 15 losses. Smith has looked good but he’s pitched only just 11.1 innings. Wacha is far more trustworthy with 44.1 innings, and he has a 3.05 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. The Tigers need to get their act together but I’m not betting on them to do so. Give me the Royals and the cheap price at home.