The Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers meet in a matinee on Friday for a key American League Central Division matchup in Detroit. The Royals (16-10), who are 13-8 against right-handed starters this season, are 7-6 in day games in 2024. The Tigers (14-11), who are 10-11 against righties, are 9-8 during the day. Detroit has had Kansas City's number of late, winning 10 of 13 games against the Royals a year ago.
The game is slated to begin at 1:10 p.m. ET from Comerica Park. Kansas City is batting .237 as a team this season, 18th best in MLB, while Detroit is hitting .221, 25th-best. Detroit is the -126 favorite on the money line (risk $126 to win $100) in the latest Royals vs. Tigers odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total runs scored is down to 7.5. Before making any Tigers vs. Royals picks, be sure to see the MLB predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times. It enters Week 5 of the 2024 MLB season on a profitable 110-85 run on top-rated MLB picks dating back to last season, and it has excelled on top-rated run-line picks during that span, going 19-7 (+737). Anybody following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Tigers vs. Royals and just locked in its picks and MLB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several MLB odds and betting lines for Royals vs. Tigers:
- Royals vs. Tigers money line: Kansas City +107, Detroit -126
- Royals vs. Tigers over/under: 7.5 runs
- Royals vs. Tigers run line: Detroit -1.5 (+188)
- KC: The Royals have a plus-39 run differential through the first 26 games in 2024
- DET: The Tigers have hit the money line in 68 of their last 135 games (+12.85 units)
- Royals vs. Tigers picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why you should back the Tigers
Detroit is expected to send right-hander Reese Olson (0-3, 3.80 ERA) to the mound and he'll be backed by an offense that is heating up. Center fielder Matt Vierling helps power the Detroit offense. He is coming off a 2-for-4 effort with a triple in Wednesday's 7-5 loss at Tampa Bay. In 22 games this season, he is batting .273 with three doubles, one triple, one homer, four RBI and 10 runs scored. He played in 134 games last year for the Tigers and hit .261 with 21 doubles, five triples, 10 homers and 44 RBI. In 11 career games against Kansas City, he is hitting .275 with a double, triple, home run and nine RBI.
Left fielder Mark Canha has been solid at the plate for the Tigers. He has hits in seven of the past 10 games, and has a four-game hitting streak. In the series at Tampa Bay, he was 6-for-12 with a double, two homers and five RBI. For the season, Canha is hitting .259 with six doubles, five homers, 14 RBI and 12 runs scored. In 21 career games against the Royals, he is a .250 hitter with six doubles, one homer and seven RBI. See which team to pick here.
Why you should back the Royals
Right-hander Seth Lugo (3-1, 2.03 ERA) will start for Kansas City. Lugo has gone at least six innings in four of five starts, including seven in a 2-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on April 15. In that game, he scattered four hits and one walk, while striking out four. He picked up an 11-2 win over Houston on April 10, pitching six innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts. He has faced the Tigers just once in his career, going 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA.
Catcher Salvador Perez has been on a roll, with hits in eight of the past 10 games, including a four-game hitting streak. In 24 games this season, he is batting .352 with four doubles, six homers, 23 RBI and 11 runs scored. He was 6-for-13 in the four-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays this past week. Perez has always hit Tigers pitching well. In 94 career games against Detroit, he is batting .269 with 18 doubles, one triple, 22 homers and 66 RBI. See which team to pick here.
How to make Royals vs. Tigers picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 8.8 combined runs. It also says one side of the money line has all the value. You can only get the model's MLB picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Tigers vs. Royals, and which side of the money line should you back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to jump on, all from the model that's 110-85 on top-rated MLB picks, and find out.
