The Detroit Tigers host the Kansas City Royals on August 23, 2025. First pitch from Comerica Park is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. EDT; the game will be broadcast on FDSKC.
The Tigers defeated the Royals 7-5 in the first game of this series yesterday. Today, Michael Wacha will take the mound for Kansas City, and Chris Paddack will oppose him for Detroit.
Find my MLB betting preview and Royals vs Tigers prediction below, as well as probable pitchers, betting trends, injury reports and more.
My Royals vs Tigers Prediction
- Royals vs Tigers pick: Under 8.5 (-102)
My Royals vs Tigers best bet is Under 8.5 total runs in this game. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Royals vs Tigers Odds
| Royals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +170 | 8.5 -118o / -102u | +105 |
| Tigers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -210 | 8.5 -118o / -102u | -125 |
Royals vs Tigers Projected Starting Pitchers
| RHP Michael Wacha (KC) | Stat | RHP Chris Paddack (DET) |
|---|---|---|
| 8-9 | W-L | 4-11 |
| 3.1 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 1.1 |
| 3.34 / 3.95 | ERA / xERA | 5.10 / 4.84 |
| 3.59 / 4.43 | FIP / xFIP | 4.69 / 4.61 |
| 1.17 | WHIP | 1.26 |
| 11.4 | K-BB% | 11.6 |
| 38.0 | GB% | 35.9 |
| 99 | Stuff+ | 93 |
| 102 | Location+ | 113 |
Royals vs Tigers Preview
Michael Wacha has been outstanding for the past month and a half. The Royals starter has a 4-0 record and a 2.16 ERA across his last seven starts.
On top of that, he has been consistent. In those seven most recent outings, Wacha allowed two or fewer runs in each of them.
The right-hander already faced the Tigers twice this season and did it with great success. He gave up just two runs and eight hits in 12 and 1/3 innings combined in those two appearances, including his best start of 2025.
On May 31st, Wacha held Detroit to just one hit and a walk in seven scoreless innings, with six strikeouts.
On the other hand, the Royals have not been productive all season, ranking 25th in wRC+ with a 91 rating.
So the under should be a better option than the moneyline or the spread, as our Bet Labs system recommends.
This system targets unders in MLB series games (Game 2 or later) where both teams have winning records, suggesting quality pitching and competitive matchups.
However, public betting leans toward the over —likely expecting fireworks between top teams— which creates contrarian value on the under.
By capitalizing on low public support for the under (≤35%), the strategy fades public perception in favor of market inefficiencies, especially when bettors overestimate offensive output late in a series.
Pick: Under 8.5 (-102, BetMGM)
Royals vs Tigers Betting Trends
