Player Prop Odds for Tigers vs Royals – Sunday August 31, 2025

Detroit Tigers

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Kansas City Royals

As the Kansas City Royals prepare to face the Detroit Tigers on August 31, 2025, both teams find themselves in contrasting situations in the American League Central. The Royals hold a record of 70-66, sitting in the middle of the pack, while the Tigers, at 79-58, are enjoying a strong season. The last time these two teams clashed, the Tigers triumphed, adding to their playoff hopes.

The matchup on the mound features Michael Wacha for the Royals and Tarik Skubal for the Tigers. Wacha, ranked as the 71st best starting pitcher in MLB according to advanced projections, boasts a solid 3.39 ERA this season but has a concerning 4.45 xFIP, suggesting he may have benefited from good luck. He has started 26 games this year with a Win/Loss record of 8-10. On the other hand, Skubal is having a breakout season, standing as the 1st best pitcher in MLB with an impressive 2.28 ERA and a solid record of 11-4. His ability to strike out batters—33.5% this season—will be a crucial factor against the Royals’ low-strikeout offense.

Offensively, the Royals rank 23rd in MLB, struggling to generate consistent runs, while the Tigers sit at 11th, supported by their strong power numbers with a 9th ranking in home runs. Despite their offensive struggles, the projections indicate the Royals might have a slight edge due to Skubal facing a less aggressive lineup that doesn’t often draw walks, limiting his opportunities to exploit his strengths.

The Game Total is set at a low 7.5 runs, reflecting the nature of this clash. With the Royals positioned as +150 underdogs, their low implied team total of 3.28 runs suggests that oddsmakers expect a challenging night for their offense. However, if Wacha can outperform his projections and the Royals can capitalize on any opportunities, they might just surprise the favorites.

Detroit Tigers Insights

• Tarik Skubal – Over/Under 6.5 Strikeouts (-150/+115)
  Tarik Skubal has a reverse platoon split and is fortunate enough to be facing 7 opposite-handed batters in this game.
  Explain: A pitcher with a reverse platoon split will perform better against opposite-handed hitters (i.e. a right-handed pitcher will be better against a left-handed hitter). Holding this advantage against several hitters can have a huge impact on whether a pitcher will perform well or struggle on any given day.
• Zach McKinstry – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (-180/+140)
  Zach McKinstry has struggled with his Barrel% lately; his 6% seasonal rate has fallen off to 0% in the last week’s worth of games.
  Explain: Barrel% measures how often a player hits the ball at the optimal exit velocity and launch angle and is a terrific measure of underlying power.
• Detroit Tigers – 2H Moneyline
  According to the leading projection system (THE BAT), the Detroit Tigers’ bullpen ranks as the 6th-best out of all major league teams.
  Explain: Most bettors only consider the starting pitcher, but a strong bullpen sneakily creates a tougher matchup for the opposing offense and suppresses a game’s runs.

Kansas City Royals Insights

• Michael Wacha – Over/Under 4.5 Strikeouts (+100/-130)
  Michael Wacha’s fastball velocity has dropped 1.1 mph this season (92.5 mph) below where it was last season (93.6 mph).
  Explain: Velocity is a key component to fastball success in generating strikeouts and preventing runs, so a pitcher whose velocity decreases will likely see worse results.
• Vinnie Pasquantino – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (-185/+140)
  Vinnie Pasquantino has seen a significant improvement in his exit velocity in recent games; just compare his 93.4-mph average in the past two weeks to his seasonal 90.6-mph average.
  Explain: Hitting the ball hard increases the chances of either a home run or the ball landing in fair territory for a hit before a fielder can get to it.
• Salvador Perez – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (-180/+140)
  In today’s game, Salvador Perez is at a disadvantage facing the league’s 4th-deepest LF fences given that he hits his flyballs to the pull field at a 36.8% rate (94th percentile).
  Explain: This player’s skill set does not match up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to worse-than-usual performance.

Betting Trends

• Kansas City Royals – Over/Under 2.5 Team Total (-140/+110)
  The Kansas City Royals have hit the Team Total Under in 45 of their last 67 games at home (+21.60 Units / 28% ROI)
• Over/Under 7.0 Game Total (-110/-110)
  The Detroit Tigers have hit the Game Total Over in 40 of their last 69 games (+11.40 Units / 15% ROI)
• Spencer Torkelson – Over/Under 0.5 Walks (+160/-210)
  Spencer Torkelson has hit the Walks Over in 11 of his last 20 games (+8.70 Units / 44% ROI)