The Kansas City Royals will look to bolster their win total and reward moneyline bettors when the Detroit Tigers invade Kauffman Stadium on Sunday.

Kansas City hands the ball to starter Jeff Francis in this one and he'll try to improve on his 3-9 mark on the year. Detroit counters with Justin Verlander, who will try to quiet the fans and the Royals bats at the same time.



View Detroit vs Kansas City Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Sportsbooks had installed the Royals as +165 moneyline underdogs in this particular MLB matchup. The total, meanwhile, was set early at 7.5 before betting started to move the line.

Power Rankings:
The Royals - Tigers odds would favor the Tigers if the lines were set according to our power ranks. Kansas City is rated No. 13 in the current American League Odds Shark poll, while Detroit is at No. 10 in the American League.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Kansas City's No. 6 ranked American League offense (4.5 runs per game) against a Tigers defense and pitching staff that sits at No. 11 in the American League at 4.6 runs allowed per game. The Royals have been averaging 9.2 hits per game, more than the Tigers have managed so far this season (8.9 hits on average).

Pitching and defensive stats are important baseball handicapping factors and Kansas City has the American League's No. 13-ranked defense. In the other dugout, the Tigers own the American League's No. 11 mark in runs allowed.

Detroit lost its last outing, a 13-6 result against the Royals on July 9. Bettors who backed the Royals at -113 on the moneyline won on the day, and the total score (19) sent OVER bettors to the payout window. Detroit suffered a 13-6 loss against Kansas City on Saturday, as Charlie Furbush wasn't able to lead his team to victory at Kauffman Stadium.




Detroit Tigers Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 4-6
Before playing Chi White Sox are 8-2
After playing Kansas City are 4-6
After a loss are 6-4

Kansas City Royals Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 4-6
Before playing Minnesota are 5-5
After playing Detroit are 5-5
After a win are 4-6

A few Tigers at Royals trends to consider:
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Detroit's last 9 games when playing Kansas City
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kansas City's last 9 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas City's last 6 games when playing at home against Detroit
Kansas City is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Detroit
Kansas City is 6-14 SU in its last 20 games


Next up:
Detroit home to Chi White Sox, Friday, July 15
Kansas City at Minnesota, Thursday, July 14