Detroit Tigers vs Kansas City Royals Prediction, 8/22/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Detroit Tigers vs Kansas City Royals

Date: Saturday, August 22, 2026

Location: Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO

TV: MLB.TV

Odds/Point Spread: Detroit (-196) Kansas City (+162)

The Kansas City Royals (55-74) welcome the Detroit Tigers (61-66) at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday. The odds on this game have the Tigers at -196 and the Royals are at +162. The betting total is set at 8.5. The pitchers expected to start will be Drew Anderson and Michael Wacha.

The Tigers have accumulated 193 doubles as a squad and have smacked 152 balls out of the stadium. Detroit is slugging .406 and have been called out on strikes 1,089 times, while taking a walk on 451 occasions. As a squad, the Detroit Tigers are knocking in 4.5 runs per outing, which is 12th in the league. They have tallied 550 runs batted in and 1,041 hits this year, while their team batting average sits at .243. They have accounted for 577 runs while having a team on-base percentage of .319.

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They have accrued a K/BB ratio of 2.66 and their pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.21. Tigers pitchers have relinquished 127 home runs in addition to 495 runs in total (4th in baseball). Detroit has given up 972 base hits (7.8 per 9 innings) as well as 444 earned runs. The Tigers are sitting with a team earned run average of 3.55 so far this season (4th in baseball), and they have rung up 1,043 batters. They have walked 392 opposing hitters and their FIP is 3.89 as a unit on the campaign.

The Tigers relief pitchers have a save rate of 48.1% and have come into the game in 117 save situations. They have recorded 26 saves over the course of the season and have blown 28 of 54 save chances. The relief pitchers have inherited 202 runners this year with 26.7% of those runners crossing the plate. Tigers relief pitchers have come into the game with players on base 138 times as well as having 103 appearances in high leverage situations. The Tigers have sent 393 relief pitchers to the hill for the season. The relief pitchers have accumulated 61 holds so far this season (22nd in baseball).

The Tigers have turned 71.4% of baseballs in play into outs out of 10,128 innings, which has them sitting at 5th in baseball. The Detroit Tigers have earned 3,376 putouts at this point in the season, as well as 1,122 assists and 58 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding steady at .987 which has them sitting 9th in pro baseball, and have 98 double plays.

Anderson has taken the mound for 120 innings and has earned 117 K's in his pro baseball career. Anderson (5-7 win-loss record in his career) is the owner of a FIP of 4.87 while he has faced 531 batters during his time in the majors. His ERA is 4.94 (66 ER's allowed) and his WHIP is 1.406. He has surrendered 123 base knocks (9.2 hits per nine innings) with 46 walks.

Kansas City has 129 home runs this season as well as 517 RBIs. They have 229 doubles, while getting a free base 402 times and earning 541 runs. The Kansas City Royals have recorded an OBP of .314 and a batting average of .245 this season. The Royals have a team slugging percentage of .396 and they average 4.19 runs per contest (22nd in the league). They have struck out on 1,014 instances (24th in MLB) and have earned a total of 1,059 base hits.

The Royals hold a team WHIP of 1.409 in addition to having a FIP of 4.66 as a pitching staff on the season. Their strikeout to walk ratio comes in at 7.50 (944 strikeouts against 476 free passes). They are currently ranked 27th in MLB as a staff in total hits conceded with 1,121. They have allowed 161 dingers and they allow 5.09 runs per 9 innings (27th in baseball). The Kansas City pitching staff have conceded 641 runs so far this season while having a team ERA of 4.77 (600 earned runs relinquished).

Kansas City relievers have an inherited score rate of 40.9% out of their 132 inherited runners. Their bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the hill 128 times in high leverage situations and on 88 occasions with runners on base. With 115 save situations, the Royals have compiled 59 holds and 23 blown saves. They are currently ranked 23rd in the league holding a save percentage of 57.4%, and they have sent 414 relievers to the mound so far this season.

In their 10,200 innings played, the Royals have earned a efficiency on defense of 69.6% (20th in professional baseball). The Kansas City Royals have gotten 113 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .988 (7th in professional baseball). The Royals have racked up 1,177 assists, 56 errors and have earned 3,400 putouts this year.

Wacha (117-83 career mark) is the owner of a 3.86 earned run average and has given up 8.6 hits per 9 innings. His strikeout to walk ratio is 2.82 and he has faced 7,478 opposing batters so far in his pro baseball career. He has surrendered a total of 765 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.264 and having a FIP of 3.8. Thus far in his career, Wacha has allowed 1,709 base knocks while tallying 1,536 K's in 1,782 frames.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Detroit (-196)

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