Michael Brantley and the Houston Astros are preparing to take on the Kansas City Royals at Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium in a Saturday showdown. Fox Sports Kansas City will be televising this AL matchup and the game gets underway at 7:15 p.m. ET.
Houston Astros vs. Kansas City Royals Odds
Sportsbooks have Houston (-375) as the favorite over Kansas City (+300). The total currently stands at 9 runs and bettors can play the over for -125 and the under for +105. There’s a runline of Astros -1.5 (-220) and Royals +1.5 (+180) for this matchup.
The Astros are 96-53 SU and have gone 78-70 against the spread (ATS). The team hasn’t moved the needle a whole lot this year, losing 0.3 units for moneyline bettors and 3.3 units ATS. Houston is 3-4 ATS over its last seven games and the over has hit in four of those seven. The Royals, on the other hand, are 55-93 SU and 69-78 ATS. They’ve lost 19.5 units for moneyline bettors and 22.6 units ATS. Kansas City has covered the spread four times in its last seven games and the total has gone over in six of those seven.
Royals games have an over/under record of 73-66-8 in 2019. The Astros have been a decent under bet with a total record of 67-76-5.
Zack Greinke is getting the start for Houston. The right-handed Greinke is 15-5 with a 2.99 ERA and 167 strikeouts. He has yet to face the Royals this year and did not record a start against them in 2018, either.
The Royals will turn to lefty Mike Montgomery (3-8, 4.77 ERA), who’s got 61 punchouts and 25 walks as well as a 1.56 WHIP. Montgomery did not record a start against the Astros in 2018.
Houston’s pitching staff allowed 4.1 runs per game and its starters own a 3.69 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 10.53 K/9. The bullpen has managed an ERA of 3.87, along with a K-per-9 of 9.80.
The Astros offense has slashed .276/.356/.493 on its way to 5.7 runs scored per game this season, including 7.4 runs per game over the team’s last 10 games and 6.2 per game over the team’s last five contests (2-3 SU).
Left fielder Michael Brantley and first baseman Yuli Gurriel have paced Houston’s hitters. Brantley is slashing .321/.382/.519 with 21 home runs, 85 RBIs and 86 runs scored. Gurriel is hitting .302 with 27 homers, 98 RBIs and 78 runs scored.
For the home team, Kansas City’s pitching staff has allowed 5.3 runs per game overall this season. The team’s starters have a 5.17 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 7.3 strikeouts per nine innings. The bullpen has a 5.03 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and 8.6 K/9.
Kansas City’s hitters have produced 4.3 runs per outing, including 4.3 per game over its last 10 games and 3.6 per game over their last five. The team’s hit .222/.266/.437 over its last five games and is 2-3 SU during that span.
Second baseman Whit Merrifield and outfielder Jorge Soler have led the Royals’ offense this year. Merrifield is slashing .304/.352/.470 with 16 home runs, 72 RBIs, 96 runs and 18 stolen bases, while Soler’s line is .255/.346/.553 with 44 homers, 107 RBIs and 84 runs scored.
The Astros have gained 10.2 units and are 22-19 ATS when facing a left-handed starting pitcher this year. The over has cashed in 15 of those games, compared to 24 that’ve hit the under against lefties. On the other hand, the Royals have lost 15.3 units and are 51-57 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher. The over has hit in 54 of those games, compared to 50 that’ve gone under.
Astros vs. Royals Free MLB Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Astros, ATS Winner – Astros, O/U – OVER
Betting Trends
- The under has hit in three of Houston’s last seven games.
- Houston has posted 28.2 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 contests and 26.2 over its last five.
- The Astros have hit 24 home runs in their last 10 games, including 16 over their last five.
- The Astros have an OPS of .850 this season and an OPS of .884 when facing left-handed pitchers. The Royals’ OPS sits at .710 overall and .692 against southpaws.
