Friday, September 18, 2015

Comerica Park

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Johnny Cueto (2-6) vs. Justin Verlander (3-8)

The Detroit Tigers welcome the Kansas City Royals to Comerica Park on Friday. Johnny Cueto is the probable starter for the Royals and he'll face Justin Verlander of the Tigers. The opening line for this matchup has Kansas City at -102 and Detroit at -108. The over/under was set at 8. The Royals, with a 78-67 run line record, cover the spread 54% of the time. They also have a 64-67 over/under record. The Tigers have a 78-60 over/under record and a 67-78 run line mark, which means they are covering the spread 46% of the time.

The Royals show up with a 85-60 record, including 37-33 on the road. Starting pitcher Johnny Cueto holds a 2-6 record with an earned run average of 5.43 and a WHIP of 1.42. In his starts, the Royals are 2-7 over his 56.1 innings pitched this season while giving up 72 hits during those innings. Their record against the over/under when he starts is 7-2. The team is averaging 4.3 runs when he starts. The bullpen has given up 372 hits on the season and have an earned run average of 2.72. The bullpen has struck out 443 and walked 163 batters this season while opposing teams hit .211 against them. Kansas City has a team average of 8.52 hits allowed per game and are averaging 7.13 strikeouts per nine innings. With a team earned run average of 3.80, they are 11th in the league.

Kansas City is batting .270 as a team, which is good for 2nd in the league and hitting .259 away from home. The Royals on-base percentage sits at .322, which puts them at 12th in the league and they have a team slugging percentage of .411. With 160 hits, Eric Hosmer leads the team while his team ranks 5th in hits per game with 9.23.

Detroit is 33-38 at home while holding a 67-78 overall record on the season. With an earned run average of 3.58, Justin Verlander will come into this game holding a 3-8 record and a 1.11 WHIP. In his starts, the Tigers are 4-12 and he has allowed 92 hits over 105.2 innings pitched this season. Their record against the over/under when he starts is 9-7. The team is averaging 2.9 runs when he takes the field. The bullpen has given up 482 hits on the season and have a team earned run average of 4.58. The Tigers bullpen has struck out 358 batters and walked 182 this season while opposing teams have hit .274 against them. Detroit has a team average of 9.47 hits per game and are averaging 6.89 strikeouts per nine innings. With a team earned run average of 4.75, they are 28th in the league.

They are batting .272 as a team, which is good for 1st in the league and hitting .276 at home. The Tigers on-base percentage sits at .328, which puts them at 4th in the league and they have a team slugging percentage of .425. With 170 hits, Ian Kinsler leads the team while his team ranks 1st in hits per game with 9.48.

In terms of team defense, the Royals have a fielding percentage of .986 with 77 total errors, 1,445 assists and 3,880 put outs. Over the course of this season, the Tigers have accumulated 73 errors while having 1,441 assists and 3,901 put outs leading to a .987 fielding percentage.

Kansas City Royals Betting Trends

The Kansas City Royals are 64-67 against the over/under so far this season

The Kansas City Royals are 78-67 against the run line so far this season

Detroit Tigers Betting Trends

The Detroit Tigers are 78-60 against the over/under so far this season

The Detroit Tigers are 67-78 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Kansas City Royals

07/22/15 P Jason Vargas Elbow Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (7/22); out for season
05/17/15 P Brian Flynn Shoulder Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (5/16)
04/06/15 P Tim Collins Elbow Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (4/6)

Detroit Tigers

09/16/15 3B Nick Castellanos Groin "?" Friday vs. Kansas City Royals
09/10/15 P Buck Farmer Forearm "?" for next scheduled start
09/04/15 SS Jose Iglesias Finger out indefinitely
08/20/15 P Anibal Sanchez Rotator Cuff Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (8/20)
05/08/15 P Joe Nathan Elbow Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (4/7), out for season

Josh's Pick: Take the Tigers

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