Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals
(-110/-110)-160
On September 17, 2024, the Kansas City Royals will host the Detroit Tigers at Kauffman Stadium for the second game of their series. As of now, the Royals (82-69) hold a slight edge over the Tigers (78-73) in the American League Central standings. While both teams have enjoyed above-average seasons, the Tigers are struggling to keep pace against the division’s stronger teams.
The Royals come off a strong performance, winning their previous game decisively. They will send Cole Ragans to the mound, a left-handed pitcher who has been exceptional this season, ranking as the 13th best starting pitcher in MLB according to advanced-stat Power Rankings. Ragans possesses a solid ERA of 3.32 over 30 starts, with projections indicating he will pitch around 5.3 innings today while allowing a modest 2.3 earned runs and striking out an average of 6.5 batters.
In contrast, the Tigers will counter with Casey Mize, a right-hander whose season has not been as stellar, sporting a 4.47 ERA and a struggling win-loss record of 2-6 over 19 starts. Mize’s low strikeout rate, combined with a Royals offense that ranks 12th overall but 2nd in strikeouts least in the league, could spell trouble for the Tigers. The projections suggest Mize will pitch around 5.2 innings while allowing slightly below-average runs and a concerning number of hits.
The matchup heavily favors the Royals, who have an implied team total of 4.47 runs, suggesting that they should find success against a Tigers offense that ranks a dismal 24th overall. This game presents a critical opportunity for Kansas City to solidify their position in the standings, particularly against a division rival that has struggled to find its rhythm at the plate. With the moneyline currently favoring the Royals at -170, this matchup could very well tip in their favor this evening.
Betting Trends
- Kansas City Royals – Run Line -1.5 (+130)The Kansas City Royals have hit the Run Line in 85 of their last 151 games (+9.88 Units / 5% ROI)
- Detroit Tigers – Run Line +1.5 (-150)The Detroit Tigers have hit the Run Line in 45 of their last 71 games (+16.30 Units / 17% ROI)
- Salvador Perez – Over/Under 2.5 Hits Runs and RBIs (+115/-150)Salvador Perez has hit the Hits Runs and RBIs Under in 10 of his last 12 games at home (+8.65 Units / 68% ROI)