Kansas City Royals vs. Detroit Tigers Prediction: Do Zack Greinke, Royals Have Edge Over Tigers?
The Kansas City Royals face the Detroit Tigers tonight for the last game in their series. Do Zack Greinke and the Royals have the edge over the Tigers? Ben Rajavuori provides his prediction and best bet for the game.
Ben Rajavuori - May 24, 2023, 5:22 PM EDT
5 minKansas City Royals vs. Detroit Tigers Prediction: Do Zack Greinke, Royals Have Edge Over Tigers?
The Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers square off in a rubber match to decide the winner of the series tonight from Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The Tigers took game one, but the Royals kept the series alive with a 4-1 win last night. Tonight, it's Matthew Boyd against Zack Greinke to decide the series. Can the Royals get over their woes at home?
Royals vs. Tigers Start Time and Where to Watch
- Date: May 24, 2023
- Game Time: 7:40 pm ET
- Where to Watch: MLB.TV
Kansas City Royals vs. Detroit Tigers Prediction
Only one team in baseball has been worse than the Royals, and that's the Oakland A's. Not good company to be in, but the good news for the Royals tonight is that they are looking for a series win against another team that is not so good. The Tigers may be in second place in the AL Central, but that's not saying much because the AL Central is, without a doubt, the worst division in baseball this season. The AL Central is the only division with just one team above .500, and that's the Twins.
With the Royals sending out Zack Greinke to pitch tonight, I love their odds to take tonight's game and the series in the process. For starters, Greinke is a completely different pitcher in Kaufmann Stadium. After returning to the Royals after a long time away with the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Houston Astros, Greinke has been unreal at home.
Last season, he had a 1.91 ERA in 12 starts at home. To contrast, he had a 5.32 ERA in 14 starts on the road. This season has been much of the same. Greinke has a 3.21 ERA in five starts at home and a 6.66 ERA in 5 starts on the road. In his career, Greinke is 13-8 with a 2.84 ERA against the Tigers, so I like him to have another good outing at home tonight.
Offensively, the Royals should find success against Matthew Boyd tonight, who is starting for the Tigers. Boyd has been abysmal this season, sporting a 6.21 ERA over eight starts. The Tigers have miraculously won two of his past three starts, despite him allowing 11 earned runs in the 13 innings pitched over those past three. Boyd has been fortunate to get good run support, but it may not come so easily against Greinke tonight.
The Royals have also been hitting lefties much better than righties. The Royal's offensive struggle has come almost solely against right-handed pitching. The Royals rank 27th in OPS against righties, but they are a much more respectable 13th against lefties with a .749 OPS.
Given that Greinke is starting at home, this is almost an auto-bet for me. I love it even more because they are also playing the Tigers at less than a -120 price. I know the Royals suck, but the Tigers aren't anything to write home about, and Matthew Boyd has been terrible. I like the odds on the Royals taking this game and the series tonight.
Kansas City Royals vs. Detroit Tigers Pick
2 Unit Pick: Royals ML -115 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbooks have the best odds
MLB Odds
