Kansas City Royals vs Detroit Tigers Prediction, Preview and Odds - 08/01/2024

Game Time: 6:40 pm ET, Thursday, August 1, 2024

Venue:  Comerica Park, Detroit, MI 

Where to Watch:  BSKC

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Royals -170, Tigers +145; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Royals -170, Tigers +145; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

BetMGM:  Moneyline odds:  Royals -170, Tigers +145; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

Kansas City Royals:  59-49 (3rd place, AL Central)

Detroit Tigers:  52-57 (4th place, AL Central)

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Kansas City Royals:  6-4 last 10

Detroit Tigers:  3-7 last 10

The Royals lost their 3-game series against the Chicago Cubs 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 59-49 record overall and have a road record of 23-27. This is the series opener of a 4-game series with the Tigers on Thursday with the series finale of their series against the Chicago White Sox still to be played on Wednesday. The Royals won the series opener of that series on Monday and the 2nd game on Tuesday. Their offense ranks 12th in the MLB with a .718 OPS. Brady Singer is their starting pitcher on Wednesday while Seth Lugo is making his start in this game on Thursday. He is 12-5 with a 2.66 ERA this season. His team lost 3 of their last 4 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 6 ER, 1 HR, and 2 BB with 2 Ks on 5 hits through 6.1 IP against the Chicago Cubs.

The Tigers are entering this series off a loss and got swept in their 2-game series against the Cleveland Guardians 2-0 in their last series. They enter this game with a 52-57 record overall and have a home record of 25-28. This is the 1st game of a 4-game series with the Royals on Thursday and they have Wednesday off as a day of rest. Their offense ranks 25th in the MLB with a .680 OPS. Tyler Holton was their starting pitcher on Tuesday while rookie pitcher Keider Montero is making his start in this game on Thursday. He is 1-4 with a 6.38 ERA this season. His team lost their last 2 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 5 earned runs, 3 homers, and 1 BB with 5 strikeouts on 8 hits through 5 innings played against the Minnesota Twins.

The current betting odds have the Royals listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Royals have looked good in their games this season with their 59-49 record overall which has them in 3rd place of the AL Central and fighting for a Wild Card spot. They haven't looked good in their road games though, going 23-27 in those this season. Meanwhile, the Tigers haven't looked great in their games this season with their 51-57 record overall which has them in 4th place of the AL Central and out of the playoff race. They haven't looked any better in their home games either with their 25-28 home record. The Tigers were hot just before the All-Star break, but now they have regressed with their 3-7 record in their last 10 games. They have been winning a lot of their games this season with good pitching, but that isn't something they are going to have here. They are going with rookie Montero in this one and he has struggled in his few starts this year. He is 1-4 with a 6.38 and has been giving up a ton of runs lately. He gave up 5 earned runs in his last start which has been a common theme for him, and the team hasn't had much success either, losing 2 games in a row with him starting. The Royals are going to have Lugo on the mound here and he has looked great all season. He is 12-5 with a 2.66 ERA and he will be looking to bounce back with a better performance here. His team has lost 3 of their last 4 games with him starting and he gave up 6 earned runs in his last start, but he has been pitching so well all season that he is due for a bounce back start here, especially since he leads the starting rotation in wins this season. The Tigers have one of the worst offenses in the MLB this season and they have cooled right down from their hot streak over a week ago. The Royals can take advantage of this pitching matchup as they have the more consistent starter and the better offense too. The best way to place a bet here is on the Royals to win this game.

Royals Tigers Prediction:  Our MLB Pick for Thursday, August 1, 2024 (6:40 pm ET start time) is Royals 6 Tigers 1.

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Kansas City Royals: 7-2 (+5.25 units) on the moneyline in their last 9 away games. 61-44 (+10.24 units) on the runline in their last 105 games. 17-9 to the over with their first 5 team total in their last 26 games. 

Detroit Tigers: 26-41 (-8.40 units) on the first 5 moneyline in their last 67 games. 47-57 (-15.15 units) on the first 5 runline in their last 104 games. 47-34 to the over in their last 81 games. 

Kansas City Royals:  J. Schreiber (RP) Out indefinitely - Knee. D. Altavilla (RP) Mid Sep - Oblique. K. Wright (SP) out for season - Shoulder. J. Taylor (RP) Late June - Bicep.

Detroit Tigers:  C. Mize (SP) Out indefinitely - Leg. J. Baez (SS) Out indefinitely - Personal. R. Greene (CF) Out indefinitely - Hamstring. R. Olson (RP) Out indefinitely - Shoulder. K. Carpenter (RF) Out indefinitely - Back. P. Meadows (CF) Out indefinitely - Hamstring. S. Gipson-Long (SP) out for season - Elbow.

“We’ve had big at-bats all year. We know we’re capable.” - Michael Massey after their win against the White Sox in their game on Tuesday.

“I'm just ready for it to be over. We're all tired of talking about it.” - A.J. Hinch after his team’s loss against the Guardians in their game on Tuesday.

M Massey (L) DH

B Witt Jr. (R) SS

V Pasquantino (L) 1B

S Perez (R) C

M Melendez (L) LF

H Renfroe (R) RF

A Frazier (L) 2B

M Garcia (R) 3B

K Isbel (L) CF

M Vierling (R) CF

C Keith (L) DH

J Malloy (R) LF

W Pérez (S) RF

B Madris (L) 1B

A Ibáñez (R) 2B

G Urshela (R) 3B

Z McKinstry (L) SS

J Rogers (R) C

Batting Average:  Bobby Witt (.347)

Hits:  Bobby Witt (149)

Home Runs:  Salvador Perez (19)

RBI:  Bobby Witt (76)

Stolen Bases:  Maikel Garcia (24)

Wins:  Seth Lugo (12)

Saves:  James McArthur (18)

ERA:  Jordan Lyles (0.00)

Batting Average:  Bligh Madris (.346)

Hits:  Riley Greene (98)

Home Runs:  Riley Greene (17)

RBI:  Riley Greene (51)

Stolen Bases:  Wenceel Pérez (9)

Wins:  Tarik Skubal (12)

Saves:  Jason Foley (15)

ERA:  Tarik Skubal (2.35)

Managers:

Kansas City Royals: Matt Quatraro (2nd season)

Detroit Tigers: A.J. Hinch (4th season)