Kansas City Royals vs Detroit Tigers Prediction, 4/17/2025 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Kansas City Royals vs Detroit Tigers

Date: Thursday, April 17, 2025

Location: Comerica Park in Detroit, MI

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit

Odds/Point Spread: Kansas City (+106) Detroit (-128)

The Detroit Tigers (10-7) are hosting the Kansas City Royals (8-10) at Comerica Park on Thursday. The moneyline on this game has the Royals at +106 while the Tigers open at -128. The over/under has been set at 8.5. The pitchers taking the mound are Michael Lorenzen and Reese Olson.

The Royals have compiled 28 doubles as a team and have hit 10 baseballs out of the park. Kansas City has a slugging % of .312 and have struck out 142 times, while taking a walk on 48 occasions. As a unit, the Kansas City Royals are notching 3.1 runs per game, which has them at 29th in MLB. They have compiled 55 RBI's in addition to 121 base knocks this year, while their average at the plate sits at .208. They have earned 55 runs scored and hold an on-base percentage of .276.

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The Royals have compiled a team ERA of 3.28 so far this season (4th in MLB), and the staff has rung up 153 hitters. Royals pitchers have conceded 17 home runs and also 68 runs (11th in the league). Their pitching staff has walked 60 opposing batters and their FIP is 3.73 as a team on the campaign. Kansas City has allowed 135 hits (7.6 per 9 innings) and also 58 earned runs. They have earned a K/BB ratio of 2.55 and the pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.23.

The Royals relief pitchers have accumulated a save percentage of 66.7% and has entered the game in 18 save situations. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 17 runners on the campaign with 47.1% of them ended up scoring. Royals relief pitchers have entered the contest with opponents on base 13 times as well as having 19 appearances in high leverage situations. The Royals have dispatched 56 relief pitchers to the mound so far this season. The relief pitchers have recorded 9 holds on the campaign (18th in baseball). They have 6 saves for the season and have missed out on 3 of their 9 chances to save the game.

The Houston Astros have notched a total of 478 putouts at this point in the season, as well as 176 assists and 10 errors. Their fielding rate is at .985 which puts them in 17th in pro baseball, and they have turned 16 double plays. The Royals have transformed 70.7% of baseballs in play into outs out of their 1,434 innings, which has them ranked 17th in professional baseball.

Lorenzen has taken the ball for 871 frames and has accounted for 713 strikeouts so far in his pro baseball career. Lorenzen (48-46 career mark) has earned a FIP of 3.93 while he has faced 3,680 batters during his time in the majors. His ERA is 3.99 (386 earned runs allowed) and his WHIP is 1.310. He has surrendered 789 hits (8.2 hits per 9 innings) and has 352 walks.

The Tigers hold a slugging % of .398 and they are scoring 4.71 runs per contest (8th in baseball). They have recorded 24 doubles, while getting a free base 62 times as well as scoring 80 runs. Detroit is sitting with 19 HRs so far this season as well as 77 runs batted in. They have been called out on strikes on 167 occasions (3rd in the league) and have earned a total of 136 base knocks. The Detroit Tigers have a team on-base percentage of .317 as well as a team batting average of .239 for the year.

The Tigers have a team WHIP of 1.121 and have a FIP of 4.00 as a team on the campaign. They have earned a K/BB ratio of 8.10 (133 strikeouts against 51 walks). They are currently ranked 4th in MLB as a pitching staff in total hits surrendered with 115. They have allowed 18 home runs and they concede 3.77 runs per 9 innings (5th in MLB). The Detroit pitching staff have surrendered 62 runs this season while having a team ERA of 3.40 (56 earned runs conceded).

Detroit has called on relievers to step onto the hill in 5 save opportunities and they have recorded 4 saves. They rank 5th in the league holding a save rate of 80.0%, and they have sent 46 relief pitchers onto the diamond this year. Their relief pitchers have taken the field 7 times in high leverage situations in addition to 14 occasions with runners on. Detroit bullpen pitchers have an inherited score rate of 23.5% out of 17 inherited runners. Sitting with 9 save situations, the Tigers have tallied 3 holds and 1 blown save.

The Detroit Tigers have turned 10 double plays and have accounted for a fielding rate of .990 (5th in MLB). The Tigers have recorded 146 assists, 6 errors and are sitting with 445 putouts during this campaign. In their 1,335 innings played, the Tigers are sitting with a defensive efficiency of 74.8% (2nd in baseball).

So far in his career, Olson has conceded 200 base knocks while he has tallied 217 strikeouts in 231 innings. Olson (10-16 career mark) has a 3.90 earned run average and has surrendered 7.8 hits per nine innings. He has conceded a total of 100 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.186 and being the owner of a FIP of 3.8. His K/BB ratio is 2.93 and he has gone up against 954 opposing batters so far in his pro baseball career.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Kansas City (+106)

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