Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers odds, picks and prediction

Analyzing Thursday’s Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers odds and lines, with MLB picks and predictions.

The Kansas City Royals (16-19) and Detroit Tigers (12-24) close out a three-game series Thursday at 1:10 p.m. ET at Comerica Park. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook‘s lines around the Royals vs. Tigers odds with MLB picks and predictions.

LHP Daniel Lynch is the projected starting pitcher for the Royals. He is 0-1 with an 18.56 ERA, 3.00 WHIP, 5.1 K/9 and 8.4 BB/9 in 5 1/3 IP over 2 starts.

Lynch is a highly-regarded 24-year-old prospect making his third career start. He didn’t make it out of the first frame last time out, Saturday against the Chicago White Sox.

RHP Spencer Turnbull is the projected starter for the Tigers. In 4 starts this season, he is 1-2 with a 4.74 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 7.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 through 19 IP.

The Tigers righty logged a productive turn against these Royals April 26 (6 IP, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5K), but he has been undone a bit in two road starts (at the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox) since. Turnbull owns a sub-3.00 ERA over his last 7 home starts.

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Royals at Tigers odds, lines, picks and prediction

MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 10:20 a.m. ET.

  • Money line: Royals -105 (bet $105 to win $100) | Tigers -115 (bet $115 to win $100)
  • Against the spread/ATS: Royals -1.5 (+150) |  Tigers +1.5 (-190)
  • Over/Under: 9 (O: -110 | U: -110)

Prediction

Tigers 5, Royals 4

Money line (ML)

The Royals have been a solid fade candidate this month after being too far out over their skis with a 15-9 start in April. They’ve lost 10 games in a row and are averaging just 3.0 runs per game on a .639 team OPS over the slide.

Detroit doesn’t figure to be a profitable option in many instances, but the right lean of the Tigers lineup (93% of plate appearances vs. left-handed pitchers) won’t do the rookie Lynch any favors.

The once-slumbering Tigers offense has come alive in the team’s last three series with a .794 OPS. Turnbull is not an enticing part of this play. Frankly, neither is a terrible Detroit bullpen, but it’s a bullpen better than the 6.62 ERA it carries into Thursday. It isn’t too far out of step with a bottom-third Royals relief corps.

Add in the possibility that everything is happening just way too fast for Lynch, and consider a partial-unit play on DETROIT (-115).

(Starting pitchers play enough into the betting equation to make a third-time starter a lessened-action play in just about any scenario.)

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Run line/Against the spread (ATS)

PASS on the run line with its increased juice.

Over/Under (O/U)

Turnbull and the key relievers on both sides have been seen once or twice over. Both lineups figure as being a tad underrated by their current run-scoring and OPS averages.

Throw in two bottom-10 bullpens and a 65-degree day game in the Motor City, and follow some bigger-money plays on the OVER 9 (-110).

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage. This information is for entertainment purposes only. We make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any content.

[lawrence-newsletter]

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Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers odds, picks and prediction

Analyzing Tuesday’s Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers odds and lines, with MLB picks and predictions.

The Kansas City Royals (16-17) visit Motor City Tuesday for a three-game set with the Detroit Tigers (10-24) at Comerica Park. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook‘s lines around the Royals vs. Tigers with MLB picks and predictions.

Kansas City is in the midst of an eight-game losing skid, which includes back-to-back sweeps by the Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Indians.

Detroit has been off the past two days after the rubber match of the three-game set with the Minnesota Twins was rained out Sunday. The Tigers are just 2-8 in their last 10 games.

Season series: Royals lead 4-0.

RHP Brady Singer is on the rubber for the Royals. Singer is 1-3 with a 3.41 ERA (29 IP, 11 ER), 1.17 WHIP, 3.4 BB/9 and 9.0 K/9 across 6 starts.

  • Last outing: No-decision in 5 2/3 IP with 3 ER, 4 H, 2 BB and 3 K Wednesday vs. the Indians.
  • Career vs. the Tigers: 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA (25 IP, 4 ER), 0.64 WHIP and 8.6 K/9 over 4 starts.
    • Vs. Tigers on the current roster: 64 at-bats with a .172/.185/.313 slash line, 20/1 K/BB rate, 3 HR and 3 RBIs.

LHP Matthew Boyd is the projected starter for the Tigers. Boyd is 2-3 with a 2.27 ERA (35 2/3 IP, 9 ER), 0.93 WHIP, 1.8 BB/9 and 6.1 K/9 across 6 starts.

  • Last outing: Loss, 11-0, in 1 IP with 2 ER, 3 H, 1 BB and 2 K at the White Sox April 29.
  • Career vs. the Royals: 7-10 with a 5.71 ERA (116 2/3 IP, 74 ER), 1.46 WHIP and 7.0 K/9 over 23 starts.
    • Vs. Royals on the current roster: 247 at-bats with a .296/.340/.506 slash line, 47/15 K/BB rate, 9 HR and 33 RBIs.

MLB betting offers/promotions

BetMGM Sportsbook offers available in CO, IA, IN, MI, NJ, PA, TN, VA and WV. New customer offers, terms and conditions apply.

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Royals at Tigers odds, lines, picks and prediction

MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 6:48 a.m. ET.

  • Money line: Royals -145 (bet $145 to win $100) | Tigers +120 (bet $100 to win $120)
  • Against the spread/ATS: Royals -1.5 (+115) | Tigers +1.5 (-140)
  • Over/Under: 8 (O: -105 | U: -115)

Prediction

Royals 4, Tigers 1

Money line (ML)

“LEAN” to the ROYALS (-145) for a half unit because Singer has much better career numbers vs. the Tigers than Boyd vs. the Royals.

These starters faced each other back on April 24 and Singer was considerably sharper than Boyd even though Kansas City only won 2-1.

Singer had a 1.82 xFIP, 2.50 ground ball to fly ball rate and a 70.8% contact rate vs. the Tigers, while Boyd had a 5.20 xFIP, 0.54 ground ball to fly ball rate and an 83.3% contact rate vs. the Royals a few weeks ago.

Both teams have played equally as bad, so I don’t know how much this Royals-Tigers meeting differs from the previous with the same starting pitchers.

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Run line/Against the spread (ATS)

PASS because the payout of the Royals -1.5 (+115) isn’t juicy enough considering how poorly Kansas City has looked over its last 10 games.

Over/Under (O/U)

BET UNDER 8 (-115) for 1 unit because both starters have looked impressive out the gate and each lineup has been awful.

Kansas City is 22nd in BB/K and 26th in both wRC+ and wOBA vs. left-handed pitching whereas Detroit is dead-last in BB/K, 24th in wOBA and 22nd in wRC+ against righties.

Furthermore, Detroit has the third-highest Under rate and Kansas City the lowest in division games since the beginning of last season.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage. This information is for entertainment purposes only. We make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any content.

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Chicago White Sox at Kansas City Royals odds, picks and prediction

Analyzing Friday’s Chicago White Sox at Kansas City Royals odds and lines, with MLB picks and predictions.

The Chicago White Sox (16-13) meet the AL Central rival Kansas City Royals (16-14) Friday at Kauffman Stadium for the first game of a three-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook‘s lines around the White Sox vs. Royals odds with MLB picks and predictions.

Chicago has alternated between winning and losing its past six games and is 6-4 in its previous 10 games while Kansas City has lost five straight and is 3-7 over its last 10.

The season series is tied 1-1 but the White Sox owned the Royals in 2020 by going 9-1 in their head-to-head meetings.

LHP Carlos Rodón gets the start for the White Sox. He is 4-0 with an 0.72 ERA (25 IP, 2 ER), 0.64 WHIP, 3.2 BB/9 and 13.0 K/9 over 4 starts.

  • Last outing: Win in 6 IP with 1 ER, 2 H, 1 BB and 12 K vs. the Detroit Tigers last Thursday.
  • Career vs. Royals: 2-3 with a 3.69 ERA (39 IP, 16 ER), 1.49 WHIP and 8.8 K/9 over 7 starts.

RHP Brad Keller is the projected starter for the Royals. He is 2-3 with an 8.06 ERA (22 1/3 IP, 20 ER), 2.15 WHIP, 4.8 BB/9 and 6.4 K/9 across 6 starts.

  • Last outing: Loss in 4 1/3 IP with 2 ER, 6 H, 1 BB and 3 K at the Minnesota Twins Sunday.
  • Career vs. White Sox: 4-4 with a 3.62 ERA (59 2/3 IP, 24 ER), 1.39 WHIP and 7.2 K/9 in 10 starts and 3 relief appearances.

MLB betting offers/promotions

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White Sox at Royals odds, lines, picks and prediction

MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 10:55 a.m. ET.

  • Money line: White Sox -160 (bet $160 to win $100) | Royals +135 (bet $100 to win $135)
  • Against the spread/ATS: White Sox -1.5 (+100) | Royals +1.5 (-120)
  • Over/Under: 8 (O: -120 | U: +100)

Prediction

White Sox 5, Royals 2

Money line (ML)

PASS because I’m confident enough taking Chicago in this spot that I’ll be greedy and not eat the vig for the White Sox (-160).

It’s not out of my price range and I’d entertain including the White Sox’s money line in a parlay, but I’d rather load up on Chicago’s run line

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Run line/Against the spread (ATS)

GIMME the WHITE SOX -1.5 (+100) for 1 unit because of their massive edge in the starting pitching matchup and Chicago’s second-best 18-10 run line record as a road favorite since the beginning of last season.

Rodón has been filthy this year and is more effective on six or more days rest. Statcast grades Rodón in the 90-plus percentile in K%, whiff%, expected slugging percentage and expected wOBA.

Also, Rodón has a lower ERA, WHIP and opponent’s slash line when pitching on six or more days rest compared to his other rest splits.

Conversely, Keller has been dreadful this season and is far less effective on four days of rest.

Statcast grades Keller in the single-digit percentile in K%, expected wOBA and expected slugging percentage, and the 35th percentile in hard-hit rate.

And, on four days of rest, Keller’s winning percentage, WHIP and ERA are the worst compared to his other rest splits.

Over/Under (O/U)

PASS because Rodón has been better than Keller this season but Keller’s numbers vs. the White Sox are more impressive than Rodón’s against the Royals.

Also, Chicago’s lineup is predictably good but is missing some big bats and Kansas City’s lineup is surprisingly average.

The bottom line is I don’t have a good enough handicap on this total and these teams have a combined 5-5 O/U record this season when these two starters are on the mound.

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Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers odds, picks and prediction

Analyzing Friday’s Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers odds and lines, with MLB picks and predictions.

The Kansas City Royals (10-7) and Detroit Tigers (7-12) meet Friday night at 7:10 p.m. ET to open a series at Comerica Park. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook‘s lines around the Royals vs. Tigers odds with MLB picks and predictions.

LHP Mike Minor is the projected starting pitcher for the Royals. Over 15 appearances (14 starts) the last two seasons, Minor is 2-7 with a 5.47 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 9.2 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 over 72 1/3 IP. He owns a 5.17 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in three turns this season.

RHP Casey Mize is the projected starter for the Tigers. He is 1-4 with a 5.68 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 7.9 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 44 1/3 IP over 10 starts in the last two seasons. He owns a 3.38 ERA in three starts in 2021. In the most recent of those — Saturday against the Oakland Athletics — Mize was tagged for 3 home runs en route to allowing 5 ER in 5 IP.

MLB betting offers/promotions

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Royals at Tigers odds, lines, picks and prediction

MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 9:35 a.m. ET.

  • Money line: Royals -120 (bet $120 to win $100) | Tigers +100 (bet $100 to win $100)
  • Against the spread/ATS: Royals -1.5 (+135) |  Tigers +1.5 (-160)
  • Over/Under: 8.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)

Prediction

Tigers 5, Royals 4

Money line (ML)

Peg the Royals as being a couple of games or more too far out over their skis with a 10-7 record. The lean here is small because the Tigers’ bullpen doesn’t inspire much confidence, but the upside to Mize with his early velocity uptick and better control is the difference-maker in approaching this line.

The Tigers are off to a terrible start against southpaws, but it’s a small sample, and (albeit in another small sample) they have a solid .874 OPS against Minor. Mize brings out the lesser side of the Royals’ splits with their .696 OPS vs. right-handed pitching.

This is also KC’s first road game coming off a 10-game homestand.

TAKE THE TIGERS (+100).

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Run line/Against the spread (ATS)

A Tigers price better than -150 would be attractive but PASS on the listed tag.

Over/Under (O/U)

The offenses for either side aren’t that likable; the pitching is even less so.

Both bullpens figure as bottom-third units. KC’s bats have started to come around a bit of late with a .770 OPS over their last 8 games.

Temperatures in the mid-to-high-50s represent a significant warm-up; the Tigers may feel like this game is being played in Grapefruit League weather after recent frozen nights in the Motor City.

BACK THE OVER 8.5 (-105).

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Tampa Bay Rays at Kansas City Royals odds, picks and prediction

Analyzing Wednesday’s Tampa Bay Rays at Kansas City Royals odds and lines, with MLB picks and predictions.

The Tampa Bay Rays (10-8) go for the three-game sweep and a perfect 6-0 road trip when they take on the Kansas City Royals (9-7) Wednesday. First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. ET at Kauffman Stadium. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook‘s lines around the Rays vs. Royals odds with MLB picks and predictions.

RHP Michael Wacha is the projected starting pitcher for the Rays. He is 1-1 with a 4.20 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 12.0 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 across 15 IP through three appearances (two starts). It’s early, but Wacha is missing far more bats than ever before and is coming off a 9 strikeout performance against the New York Yankees for his highest single-game total since July 2017.

RHP Jakob Junis is the projected starting pitcher for the Royals. He is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 11.3 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 through 12 IP across four appearances with two starts.

Armed with a new cutter that he is throwing on about one-third of his offerings, Junis is racking up more strikeouts than usual. He whiffed 6 batters in 5 innings in each of his first two starts, and earned a win against the Toronto Blue Jays last time out, though he served up his first 2 runs of the year.

MLB betting offers/promotions

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Rays at Royals odds, lines, picks and prediction

MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 11 a.m. ET.

  • Money line: Rays -110 (bet $110 to win $100) | Royals -110 (bet $110 to win $100)
  • Against the spread/ATS: Rays -1.5 (+150) | Royals +1.5 (-185)
  • Over/Under: 7.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)

Prediction

Rays 6, Royals 3

Money line (ML)

After losing three games in a row, the Rays have come out on top in each of their last five.

It has been only 15 innings, but Wacha is displaying the strongest skills of his career, with a FIP and xFIP both under 3.00.

Look for the RAYS (-110) to make it six wins in a row Wednesday night.

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Run line/Against the spread (ATS)

During the Rays’ win streak, their average margin of victory has been 4.2 runs, with each contest decided by more than 1 run.

As the road team, they will have an opportunity to win by multiple runs in the last inning, and there appears to be solid value in taking the RAYS -1.5 (+150).

Over/Under (O/U)

The Over has hit in four of the last six games for Tampa, while seven of the last 10 Kansas City games have gone under the total.

Both Wacha and Junis have shown some improvement during the season’s first few weeks, but the sample is too small to fully buy into this being a pitchers’ duel.

PASS on the total.

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Texas Rangers at Kansas City Royals odds, picks and prediction

Analyzing Saturday’s Texas Rangers at Kansas City Royals odds and lines, with MLB picks and predictions.

The Texas Rangers (0-1) continue their season-opening series against the Kansas City Royals (1-0) with a 2:10 p.m. ET Saturday matinee at Kauffman Stadium. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook‘s lines around the Rangers vs. Royals odds with MLB picks and predictions.

RHP Kohei Arihara is slated to toe the slab for the Rangers. Arihara is making his Major League debut after pitching the last six years for the Nippon Ham Fighters of the Japan Pacific League. The 28-year-old right-hander logged sub-3.50 ERAs each of the last two seasons for the Ham Fighters.

LHP Mike Minor gets the call for the Royals. In 2020, he went 1-6 with a 5.56 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 9.9 K/9, and 3.2 BB/9 in 56 2/3 IP over 11
starts and one relief appearance. Minor has a history of being a fast starter out of the gate (career April/March OPS allowed of .668). The veteran logged a 65-game relief season for Kansas City in 2017; he posted a 2.77 ERA in Kauffman Stadium.

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Rangers at Royals odds, lines, picks and prediction

MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 11:30 a.m. ET.

  • Money line: Rangers +145 (bet $100 to win $145) | Royals -175 (bet $175 to win $100)
  • Against the spread/ATS: Rangers +1.5 (-125) | Royals -1.5 (+105)
  • Over/Under: 9.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)

Prediction

Royals 5, Rangers 3

Money line (ML)

This one gets pegged as about a 60-40 lean toward the host Royals. As such, the payoffs here wall off any value on either. PASS.

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Run line/Against the spread (ATS)

With Arihara as a first-time starter, and with the Kansas City pen being the better of the two, the slightest leans perhaps leads to a ROYALS -1.5 (+105) play. But with an Under lean, and the home team not batting with a ninth-inning lead, a partial-unit wager is suggested.

Over/Under (O/U)

Early money on this game has gone to the Under. A 15-mile-per-hour wind out to center is expected for Saturday’s tilt beneath the water falls. But not much is expected from either offense this season, April Minor and the Royals pen get a thumbs-up, and the unknown Arihara figures as a solid control pitcher whose 1.07 WHIP in spring adds to the Under ammo here.

BACK THE UNDER 9.5 (-115).

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[lawrence-newsletter]

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Texas Rangers at Kansas City Royals odds, picks and prediction

Analyzing Thursday’s Texas Rangers at Kansas City Royals odds and lines, with MLB picks and predictions.

The Texas Rangers tussle with the Kansas City Royals in a Thursday season opener at 4:10 p.m. ET at Kauffman Stadium. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook‘s lines around the Rangers vs. Royals odds with MLB picks and predictions.

RHP Kyle Gibson is the projected starting pitcher for the Rangers. He went 2-6 with a 5.35 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 7.75 K/9 and 4.01 BB/9 in 67 1/3 IP over 12 starts in 2020. In 189 career plate appearances against Gibson, Kansas City batters own a mere .625 OPS.

RHP Brad Keller figures to toe the rubber for the Royals. Last season he went 5-3 with a 2.47 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 5.76 K/9 and 2.80 BB/9 over 54 2/3 IP spanning nine starts. Keller pitched seven shutout innings in his last opener (2019 vs. the White Sox). He logged an 0.27 ERA in five home starts last season.

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Rangers at Royals odds, lines, picks and prediction

MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 8:25 a.m. ET.

  • Money line: Rangers +155 (bet $100 to win $155) | Royals -175 (bet $175 to win $100)
  • Against the spread/ATS: Rangers +1.5 (-140) | Royals -1.5 (+115)
  • Over/Under: 9 (O: -110 | U: -110)

Prediction

Rangers 6, Royals 4

Money line (ML)

The Rangers struggled mightily on the road in the truncated 2020 season and went just 6-24 away from home. It would be easy to overlook the Rangers as underdogs in a game like this but peg the starting pitcher matchup as being much more even than the analysis on a first glance or second look would afford.

The batted-ball metrics under the surface lift Gibson to a more average ERA and ding the fine surface numbers posted by Keller.

It gets dicey with the Texas bullpen, but neither side has a big offensive or run-prevention advantage. TAKE TEXAS (+155) as a play with a fair amount of value. It’s Opening Day, gray-area value, but value nonetheless.

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Run line/Against the spread (ATS)

Sticking with the ML side on the Rangers is advisable. PASS.

Over/Under (O/U)

Tag the OVER 9 (-110) with a lean. The projected strengths and weaknesses of these clubs fit into a garden-variety baseball score, and you’re protected on the number in a 4-4 tie.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage. This information is for entertainment purposes only. We make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any content.

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