ODDS ANALYSIS
The AL Central won’t be decided this weekend in Detroit but it already seems like the teams battling at Comerica Park will be vying for that title all season long. The Royals and Tigers hook up for the second straight weekend after splitting a four-game set in Kansas City from Apr. 30 to May 3. The team’s played even on the moneyline in last weekend’s series with both teams winning twice. Thanks to an 8-1 win in the opener on Apr. 30, the Royals outscored Detroit 17-10.
Both teams have been very profitable at the betting window but they are so evenly matched you have to be very selective when wagering on head-to-head battles. Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie hasn’t had a lot of success against the Tigers and at Comerica Park so you may want to fade him for this one, especially against a Tigers team returning home after a 10-game road trip. Conversely Tigers starter Anibal Sanchez has impressive career numbers when facing KC and he spun a gem last weekend. That should be enough to go with Detroit in this one.
The Royals lead MLB with a .290 team batting average and score better than five runs a game putting the over at 16-10-2 but they split four games against Detroit last weekend. The over is 4-1 in Guthrie’s five starts this season.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Jeremy Guthrie (1-2, 6.52 ERA) was roughed up by the Tigers last Sunday in Kansas City for six runs and 11 hits in six innings and allowed a two-run homer to Miguel Cabrera in a 6-4 Detroit win. He’s allowed three or more earned runs in each of his five starts and has walked 10 batters with only 11 strikeouts in 29 innings.
Guthrie is 9-8 with a 4.84 ERA lifetime against Detroit with 20 starts in 23 appearances. He’s allowed 162 hits and 17 home runs in 128.1 innings with a 1.52 WHIP.
Anibal Sanchez (2-3, 5.11 ERA) retired the first 15 batters in order in 7.1 quality innings at Kansas City last Sunday when he dueled with Jeremy Guthrie. He struck out four and walked one in one of his better outings.
Sanchez improved his lifetime record against the Royals to 6-2 with a 1.40 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 57.2 innings over eight starts.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“I think that’s the key, no matter who you’re facing, no matter what situation you’re in. When you throw your first pitch for a strike it helps you to continue to make your pitch. Today I threw my first pitch for strikes got ahead all the time and just put the ball in the right spot in any kind of situation.” – Tigers pitcher Anibal Sanchez, who threw 15 of 18 first pitch strikes to Royals hitters in last week’s win.
LIVE BETTING or SITUATIONAL BETTING
There was a lot of controversy surrounding the Tigers and their bullpen issues last season and they still won the division title. Closer Joe Nathan is done with elbow issues and Joakim Soria has moved into his role. The set-up role that was Soria’s last season was to belong to Joba Chamberlain, but his recent struggles have the Tigers looking for answers once again. Joba was lit up for four runs on six hits Thursday, failing to protect a three run lead and taking the loss against the White Sox and he has allowed five runs and eight hits over his last 2.1 innings. There are some late inning concerns again for the Tigers.
PROP TALK
It’s hard not to mention the most destructive offensive player in the game here. Tigers’ first baseman Miguel Cabrera has been doing it for so long fans take for granted his ability to strike the baseball and he’s off to another blazing start leading Detroit’s offense. Cabrera has put up some impressive numbers during his career partly because he’s faced Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie 53 times. Cabrera has a .358 career average off Guthrie with four homers and 14 batted in with a 1.020 OPS. He had three hits including a two-run homer off Guthrie when the teams met last Sunday in KC. Look for Miggy to do some more damage against Guthrie Saturday.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Royals have this swagger that just hasn’t left after a remarkable run to the World Series last year. They had a chance last weekend to make a statement against the four-time Central Division champs and it started off well with wins in the first two before dropping the final two for a split of the four-game set. The Royals have cooled off a bit after their 7-0 start but remain a top team in the AL and needs more consistent starting pitching if they want to dethrone the Tigers. Offensively they’ve been better than advertised led by Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas.
While the Tigers still rank among the league leaders in hitting, most of that damage came early in the season. They batted .303 with 14 home runs during an 11-2 start compared to hitting just .250 with 11 homers during a 7-9 stretch entering their weekend series. Back home after splitting a 10-game road trip, the Tigers look to overtake the Royals in what’s shaping up to be a two-team battle in the division. Detroit has the edge here with Anibal Sanchez over Jeremy Guthrie and they get the win on Saturday.
Detroit 6, Kansas City 3
The MLB odds for this game will be available first at BookMaker Sportsbook. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time moneylines, player props and inning totals. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! First pitch for the game between the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers is scheduled for Saturday, May 9, 2015, at 1:08 p.m. ET at Comerica Park. The contest will be televised nationally on FS1.
