Kansas City Royals vs Detroit Tigers Prediction 5-20-24 Picks

The Detroit Tigers and the Kansas City Royals meet Monday in MLB action from Kauffman Stadium. Here’s a Kansas City Royals vs Detroit Tigers prediction. This will be the first installment in a three-game series. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for the game.

Detroit Tigers Betting Preview

The Tigers took on the Arizona Diamondbacks in their weekend series. Detroit managed wins in the first pair of that set 13-0 and 8-3. In the Sunday finale the Tigers gave up 12 hits in a 6-4 loss. Matt Manning managed 5.0 innings in the start with four earned on 10 hits and three walks.

In the starter role for the Monday opener the Tigers are going with Reese Olson. In his eight starts this year Olson is 0-4 with a 2.09 ERA and 41 Ks in 47.1 innings. Olson is 5-11 with a 3.40 career ERA in 29 games (26 starts).

Kansas City Royals Betting Preview

Over on the Royals’ side, they played the Oakland Athletics over the weekend. Kansas City took victories 6-2 on Friday and 5-3 in game two. In the Sunday finale the Royals powered out an 8-4 win with nine team hits and four runs in the sixth inning alone. Starter Brady Singer managed 6.0 innings with one earned run in the starting role.

As starter for Monday’s matchup the Royals will send out Michael Wacha. Over nine starts this year Wacha is 3-4 with a 4.71 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 49.2 innings. Wacha is 91-58 with a 3.99 ERA in 258 career games (237 starts). The Royals will meet the Rays after this series.

Tigers vs Royals Injury Notes

Tigers SP Kenta Maeda (illness) was scheduled to make a rehab start on Sunday with Triple-A Toledo.

Royals SP Kris Bubic (elbow) will be transferred to Double-A Northwest Arkansas to further his rehab assignment.

Total Runs Facts

• Each of the Royals’ last six games as favorites against AL Central opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• Seven of the Tigers’ last eight road games after playing the previous day have gone OVER the total runs line.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Tigers’ last six night games.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Royals’ last five games as favorites against AL Central opponents.

Kansas City Royals Player Prop Facts

• MJ Melendez has recorded at least one total base in each of his last eight appearances with the Royals as home favorites against AL opponents.
• Michael Wacha has recorded six or more strikeouts in each of his last five appearances with his team as a home favorite.
• Bobby Witt Jr. has scored at least one run in each of the Royals’ last six home games against AL opponents.
• Vinnie Pasquantino has recorded a Double in each of the Royals’ last three games as favorites against AL Central opponents.
• Adam Frazier has recorded at least one Single in eight of his last nine home appearances against AL Central opponents.
• Michael Wacha has recorded a win in each of his last eight appearances with his team as a home favorite.
• MJ Melendez has hit a home run in three of the Royals’ last four home games against AL Central opponents.
• MJ Melendez has recorded at least one RBI in each of the Royals’ last four home games against AL Central opponents.
• MJ Melendez has recorded at least one hit in each of his last eight appearances with the Royals as home favorites against AL opponents.

Detroit Tigers Player Prop Facts

• Mark Canha has scored at least one run in seven of his last eight appearances at Kauffman Stadium.
• Andy Ibanez has recorded at least one Single in eight of his last nine appearances against AL Central opponents.
• Spencer Torkelson has hit at least one home run in three of the Tigers’ last six road games against AL Central opponents that held a winning record.
• Javier Baez has recorded at least one RBI in each of the Tigers’ last five road games.
• Zach McKinstry has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 12 appearances against AL Central opponents that held a winning record.
• Zach McKinstry has recorded at least one total base in each of his last 12 appearances against AL Central opponents that held a winning record.

Kansas City Royals vs Detroit Tigers Prediction

I’ll go with Kansas City. Wacha managed seven earned runs in 3.2 innings during a loss to the Rangers on May 4, but he’s been great in his two starts since then. In that pair Wacha is 2-0 with three earned runs in 12.0 combined innings on six hits and seven walks. As for Olson, he’s done very well lately himself with just one earned over his last 19.0 innings.

On Sunday in their finale versus the A’s, the Royals got a nice offensive effort. The pitching was great as well; Matt Sauer had a rough outing on three earned in his lone inning, but the other three arms kept things together. This one should be a lower-scoring pitching battle (at least initially), and I think the Royals have a good shot.