In this AL Central matchup, the Tigers (74-83, 33-43 home) play host to the Royals (54-103, 23-56 away) at Comerica Park. Taking the mound for the Tigers is Sawyer Gipson-Long, while the Royals will go with Cole Ragans. Check out my pick for two of this Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals matchup.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS VS DETROIT TIGERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Detroit Tigers -113

This game will be played at Comerica Park at 1:10 ET on Thursday, September 28th.

WHY BET THE DETROIT TIGERS:

  • In their previous five games, the Tigers have a record of 3-2.
  • The Tigers have been playing well of late, rattling off two contests.
  • Across Sawyer Gipson-Long’s three starts, the Tigers have put together a record of 2-1.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

Heading into today’s game, the Royals are 5th in the AL Central on an overall record of 54-103. So far, they have played in 50 series, and are below .500 at 11-35-4. This season, the Royals are 31-47 at home and 23-56 on the road.

Starter Cole Ragans has been a bright spot for the Royals this season, boasting an impressive 7-4 record in 28 appearances. His ERA stands at 3.31, and his K/9 figure is an impressive 10.54. Additionally, Ragans’ FIP is 3.24 and OBP .277, making him a reliable option for the Royals’ rotation.

In Cole Ragans’ latest performance, the left-hander earned a quality start and the win in a 7-5 triumph over the Astros. The southpaw allowed two runs and three hits over six innings of work.

For the season, the Royals’ offense is averaging 4.2 runs per game. Over their last five games they have swung the bats well, sitting 7th in the league in scoring, with a total of 25 runs. Overall, Kansas City’s team batting average is .243, putting them 17th in the MLB.

Nelson Velázquez has been a major contributor to the Royals’ offense this season, as evidenced by his 17 home runs. In the last five games, he has hit two long balls and holds a batting average of .233.

WILL THE DETROIT TIGERS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Entering game 158 of their season, the Tigers are 10.5 games out in the AL Central and are in 3rd place. So far, their overall series record stands at 19-26-6. Detroit’s road winning percent is currently 50.6% (41-40) compared to 43.4% at home (33-43).

Sawyer Gipson-Long has been a bright spot for the Tigers in 2023. The starter has an impressive 1-0 record, with three appearances under his belt. His ERA stands at 2.40, while his K/9 is an impressive 12 and his FIP is 2.66. Additionally, Gipson-Long’s OBP is .262.

Sawyer Gipson-Long pitched five innings in his most recent outing, but the Tigers ultimately fell to the Athletics 8-2. Gipson-Long was not credited with a decision, surrendering one run on four hits.

During their last five games, Detroit is the 21st ranked offense in terms of batting average. In these games, they have hit a combined .224 and are averaging 3.6 runs per game. Across the entire season, the Tigers are hitting .234 with an OBP of .302 while averaging 4 runs per contest. This figure puts them 29th in the league.

Parker Meadows has been a key contributor to the Detroit offense this season, entering the game with a .223 batting average and .369 slugging percentage. In the team’s last ten games, Meadows has been on fire, leading Detroit in hits and boasting a .281 average.