Detroit Tigers vs Kansas City Royals Prediction 4-26-24 Picks

In this article we will formulate a Detroit Tigers vs Kansas City Royals prediction for this MLB game on Friday, April 26th at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. Let’s take a look at the prediction for game one in this series. 

Detroit Stays Hot Offensively 

The Detroit Tigers are 14-11 this season and they have won three of their last four games. Detroit is coming off of a series win against the Rays, where they won two out of three games on the road. The Tigers were able to score 16 runs in that three game series. Prior to that series win, the Tigers won two out of three against the Twins and lost three of four to the Rangers. Detroit has started the season with a very good pitching staff and they are currently third in the AL Central behind the Guardians and Royals. 

The Detroit pitching staff has a 3.00 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and a .212 opponent batting average. The Tigers offense has scored 101 runs with a .221 batting average and a .297 on base percentage. Mark Canha is batting .259 with five home runs and 14 RBI’s for the Tigers this year. While Detroit’s pitching staff has been very solid, their offense ranks in the bottom third of the MLB for runs scored. On the bright side, the Detroit offense has shown a pulse recently, as they have scored at least four runs in seven of their last eight games. 

Can the Royals Play Better on the Road?

The Kansas City Royals are 16-10 this season and they have won three games in a row. Kansas City is coming off of a series win against the Blue Jays, where they won three out of four games. Prior to that series, the Royals lost two out of three to the Orioles and won two out of three against the White Sox. Kansas City has been a pleasant surprise so far this year, but they are just 4-5 on the road.

The Kansas City pitching staff has a 3.13 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and a .239 opponent batting average. The Royals offense has scored 119 runs with a .237 batting average and a .306 on base percentage. Salvador Perez is batting .352 with seven home runs and 25 RBI’s for the Royals this year. Kansas City has one of the best team ERA’s in the MLB and they are 11th in runs scored. 

Starting Pitchers

The projected starting pitcher for Detroit is Reese Olson, who is 0-3 with a 3.80 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP over 21.1 innings pitched this year. Olson has allowed two earned runs or fewer in three of his first four starts this season, but he did allow six earned runs to the Pirates on April 8th. Kansas City is projected to start Seth Lugo, who is 3-1 with a 2.03 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP over 31.0 innings pitched this season. Lugo allowed two earned runs or fewer in his first four starts this year, but did allow four earned runs and nine hits over 5.1 innings against Baltimore in his last start. 

Detroit Tigers Team Facts

• The underdogs have won each of the Tigers’ last four games.
• The underdogs have covered the run line in each of the Tigers’ last six games.
• The Tigers have trailed after 7 innings in each of their last five games as favorites against American League opponents.
• The Tigers have trailed after 3 innings in four of their last five games as favorites against AL Central opponents.
• The Tigers have trailed after 5 innings in four of their last five games as favorites against American League opponents.

Kansas City Royals Team Facts

• The Royals have lost each of their last seven games against the Tigers following a win.
• The Royals have covered the run line in each of their last nine Friday day road games.
• The Royals have led after 3 innings in each of their last six road games against American League opponents that held a winning record.
• The Royals have led after 5 innings in eight of their last 10 games as road underdogs against American League opponents.
• The Royals have led after 7 innings in each of their last six games against AL Central opponents that held a winning record.

Detroit Tigers vs Kansas City Royals Prediction

Detroit comes into this series with a decent record through 25 games, but they are only 4-7 at home. The Tigers have one of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball and their offense is starting to heat up, so they may be getting to go on a run. Kansas City has also started the season playing very well, but their offense has been much more consistent this year. The Royals are just 4-5 on the road, but Lugo has been solid for them. I know Reese Olson has three losses on the season already, but he has pitched very well and I love the Detroit bullpen. My Detroit Tigers vs Kansas City Royals prediction is a Tigers win in game one of the series.