Royals vs Tigers Prediction 5/9/26 MLB Picks Today

In this article we will formulate a Royals vs Tigers prediction for this MLB game on Saturday, May 9th at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this MLB matchup. 

Kansas City Royals Betting Preview

The Kansas City Royals are 18-21 this season after they won game one by a score of 4-3 on Friday night. Kansas City trailed 3-1 in the late innings, but they scored twice in the eighth and once in the ninth for the walk-off win. The Royals recorded eight hits in the game and they were led by Isbel, who went 2-4 with two RBIs. Bubic allowed four hits and three earned runs over 5.2 innings, while Erceg got the win. Prior to this series, Kansas City split four games with the Guardians and won all three against the Mariners. 

This season, Kansas City has a 4.31 ERA with a 1.37 WHIP and a .238 opponent batting average, while they have scored 161 runs with a .241 batting average and a .320 on base percentage. Carter Jensen has led the Royals with six home runs and 17 RBIs, while Salvador Perez has added five home runs and 17 RBIs. The projected starting pitcher for Kansas City is Michael Wacha, who is 3-2 with a 3.05 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP over 44.1 innings pitched this season. 

Detroit Tigers Betting Preview

The Detroit Tigers are 18-21 this year after they lost game one by a score of 4-3 last night. Detroit led 1-0 in the second inning and 3-1 in the sixth, but their bullpen fell apart again for the loss. The Tigers recorded eight hits and they committed one error in the game, while they were led by Perez and Torkelson, who both had one RBI. Montero allowed three hits and one earned run over 6.0 innings, while Finnegan blew the save and Hurter got the loss. Prior to this series, Detroit lost all three against the Red Sox, but did win two out of three against the Rangers before that. 

This season, Detroit has a 3.89 ERA with a 1.32 WHIP and a .241 opponent batting average, while they have scored 168 runs with a .244 batting average and a .326 on base percentage. Dillon Dingler has led the Tigers with six home runs and 26 RBIs, while Riley Greene has added four home runs and 19 RBIs. The projected starting pitcher for Detroit is Burch Smith, who is 0-1 with a 1.59 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP over 11.1 innings pitched this year. 

Why the Kansas City Royals will win

• The Tigers have lost each of their last five road games against AL Central opponents.
• The Royals have won seven of their last eight night games following a home win.
• The Tigers have failed to cover the run line in eight of their last nine night games following a road loss.
• The Royals have covered the run line each of their last seven Saturday games against teams that held a losing record.
• The Tigers have trailed after 3 innings in three of their last four games as road underdogs.
• The Tigers have trailed after 5 innings in five of their last six road games against AL Central opponents that held a losing record.

Why the Detroit Tigers will win

• The Tigers have won each of their last seven Saturday night games as underdogs against AL Central opponents.
• The Royals have lost each of their last six games against the Tigers following a win.
• The Tigers have covered the run line in each of their last nine games as underdogs against the Royals.
• The Royals have failed to cover the run line in each of their last six games against the Tigers following a win.
• The Tigers have led after 3 innings in eight of their last nine Saturday night games against AL Central opponents that held a losing record.

Total Runs Facts

• Each of the last six games between the Tigers and Royals at Kauffman Stadium have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• Each of the Tigers’ last four road games have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in 12 of the Royals’ last 13 night games at Kauffman Stadium.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in 10 of the Tigers’ last 11 games as underdogs against American League opponents.

Kansas City Royals Player Prop Facts

• Bobby Witt Jr. has hit a home run in three of the Royals’ last five games as home favorites.
• Michael Wacha has recorded five or more strikeouts in each of his last eight appearances in night games against AL Central teams that held a losing record.
• Starling Marte has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 11 home appearances.
• Michael Wacha has recorded a win in each of his last eight appearances in night games against AL Central teams that held a losing record.
• Bobby Witt Jr. ranks T5th in the league in Steals (12) this season.

Detroit Tigers Player Prop Facts

• Kerry Carpenter has hit a home run in three of his last four Saturday appearances with the Tigers as underdogs.
• Javier Baez has recorded at least one hit in 18 of his last 19 road appearances against AL opponents.
• Riley Greene ranks 10th amongst qualified players for On Base Percentage (.404) this season.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Royals rank 27th in the league for walks allowed this season (169).
• The Royals rank 23rd in the league for runs scored this season (161).
• The Tigers rank 2nd in the league for doubles this season (72).
• The Tigers rank 27th in the league for steals this season (16).

Royals vs Tigers Prediction 

Detroit comes into this matchup on a four game losing streak and they continue to struggle on the road. The Tigers are just 6-15 on the road this year, while the Royals are 12-9 at home. Kansas City has won three of their last five games and they have scored at least four runs in four of their last five. The Royals are starting Wacha, who has allowed 2, 4, and 6 earned runs in his last three outings, while Smith will open the game for the Tigers. This Detroit team is a mess right now and Wacha should be able to have a strong start. Take the Royals at home.