Tigers vs. Royals prediction, odds, pick, how to watch

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19 July 2023

Tigers vs. Royals prediction, odds, pick, how to watch

The Detroit Tigers take on the Kansas City Royals. Our MLB odds series has our Tigers Royals prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Tigers Royals.

The Detroit Tigers are only six games out of first place in the American League Central Division. If you had told Tiger fans before the season began that they would be that close to first in their division on July 19, they probably would have been very happy. Yet, the harsh reality of the situation is that Detroit is somewhat close to first in the Central only because the Central is a terrible division. The Minnesota Twins lead the division despite being just two games over .500 with nearly 100 games played in the season. The Tigers haven't really stayed in contention through their own efforts; they have been kept in contention by the Twins and the Cleveland Guardians, who have both failed to play good baseball on a consistent basis this season and have performed well below their expected standards in 2023.

Yet, the Tigers aren't completely out of it. Can this team make a big push before the trade deadline, such that Tiger management feels the need to get a big bat (the team has pitching but is offense-poor) and make a run at a playoff spot? It's Miguel Cabrera's last season as a Tiger and as a major-leaguer. The idea of giving up a prospect or piece for a high-end bat might not make long-term sense, but it wouldn't be the craziest idea ever. The Tigers have a chance to change the conversation over the next few weeks.

Here are the Tigers-Royals MLB odds,

MLB Odds: Tigers-Royals Odds

Detroit Tigers: -1.5 (+112)

Kansas City Royals: +1.5 (-134)

Over: 8.5 (-108)

Under: 8.5 (-112)

How To Watch Tigers vs. Royals

TV: Bally Sports Detroit (Tigers) / Bally Sports Kansas City (Royals) / MLB Extra Innings

Stream: MLB.tv

Time: 8:10 p.m. ET/5:10 p.m. PT

*Watch Tigers-Royals LIVE on fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Tigers Could Cover The Spread

The Tigers have starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez on the bump for this game. He was brilliant in the first two months of the season. He got hurt on May 28. He missed the whole month of June. He came back and got shelled by the Oakland A's in an ugly loss. Then he pitched a solid game against the Seattle Mariners this past weekend. He was sharper in his second outing after the injury, which would seem to indicate that he shook off the rust, made necessary adjustments, and got back to being the pitcher he was in the first two months of the season. If Rodriguez is good, the Tigers should be able to shut down a weak Kansas City batting order and get enough offense to win this game.

Why The Royals Could Cover The Spread

The Royals aren't a good team, but neither are the Tigers. You can see the holes in the Detroit batting order. Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter have been good this season, but when you get past those two hitters, you see a lot of weak spots in this lineup. The fact that Greene got hurt and missed a few dozen games revealed how weak the Tiger hitters truly are. Detroit suffered profoundly in Greene's absence. A good team suffers when its best hitter is out. This applies to the Houston Astros without Yordan Alvarez and the New York Yankees without Aaron Judge. Of course the production will be lower. However, good teams manage to patch things together when superstars are out. They aren't going to match the production of the star, but they will not completely collapse. The Tigers weren't able to hold up very well with Greene out. He's back now, but the limits of this team at the plate are too profound to ignore. The Royals can shut down the Tigers and cover.