Kansas City Royals vs Detroit Tigers Prediction – 8/23/2025
The Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers will meet in an AL Central matchup on Saturday night in Detroit. The Tigers won the first game of this series at home and will look to make it two in a row over the Royals tonight. Before the action begins from Detroit, you can find my analysis for this division matchup and my Royals vs Tigers prediction below.
Our Royals vs Tigers Pick
- Pick: Royals moneyline
- Confidence: ★★★★☆
- Get Your Bonus Bets: Click the Claim Bonus button to get our DraftKings Sportsbook bonus. You can bet $5 and get $200 in bonus bets INSTANTLY and save over $200 on NFL Sunday Ticket!
Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets Instantly + Over $200 Off NFL Sunday Ticket
Gambling Problem? Call or TEXT 1-800-Gambler 21+ 
Gambling Problem? Call or TEXT 1-800-Gambler 21+
Promo Code: Click To Claim
Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets Instantly + Over $200 Off NFL Sunday Ticket
Gambling Problem? Call or TEXT 1-800-Gambler 21+
Promo Code: Click To Claim
Gambling Problem? Call or TEXT 1-800-Gambler 21+
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Kansas City Royals vs Detroit Tigers
- Date & Time: Saturday, August 23, 2025, at 6:10 p.m. ET
- Starting Pitchers: Michael Wacha (Royals) vs Chris Paddack (Tigers)
- Stadium: Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
- Broadcast: FDSDET and FDSKC
Key Storylines
Pitching matchup
Michael Wacha enters this game with a 3.34 ERA. He has allowed just two earned runs in his two starts against Detroit this season. Chris Paddack has struggled with a 5.10 ERA and has surrendered 23 home runs over 132.1 innings. Paddack has failed to complete six innings in recent outings, raising concerns about bullpen usage. Paddack’s struggles could put additional strain on the bullpen of the Tigers tonight.
Key Players
- Royals: Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino both drove in runs for the Royals in their loss on Friday night and will look to keep rolling in this matchup.
- Tigers: Riley Greene hit his 30th home run of the season for Detroit last night and will be a key contributor for the Tigers again here.
Recent team streaks
- Kansas City has lost two of its last three games coming into this contest from Detroit.
- The Tigers enter this matchup on a four-game winning streak.
Best Player Props
| Player | Stat | Prop |
|---|---|---|
| Riley Greene (DET) | Home runs | 1+ HR |
| Michael Wacha (KC) | Strikeouts | 5+ Ks |
| Spencer Torkelson (DET) | Total bases | 2+ TB |
Betting Trends & H2H
- The Tigers hold a 6-2 lead in the season series between these two teams.
- Detroit has won two straight games between these teams.
- Detroit has scored 7+ runs in three of their last four games.
Royals vs Tigers Model Projection
Score Projection: Royals 5 – Tigers 4
Win Probability: Royals 56%, Tigers 44%
Final Thoughts
The starting pitching matchup in this game is going to be the key to this contest as far as I’m concerned. Michael Wacha should give the Royals the upper hand against a struggling Chris Paddack for the Tigers. Detroit is the better team overall, but I think that Wacha will do enough to give his team the lead and they will hang onto it. I’ll go with the Royals to win this matchup as an underdog on the road.
