Royals vs Astros Betting Picks: Hunter Brown Leads Astros to Run Line Win

Kansas City Royals vs. Houston Astros
Date: Thursday, August 29th, 8:10 ET
Location: Minute Maid Park
TV: None
Money Line: Royals +129/Astros -153 (Bet smarter! Bet at discounted odds at BAS!)
Total Line: 8

Betting Preview

Here’s our betting preview for the upcoming MLB clash between the Houston Astros and the Royals on Thursday, August 29th at Minute Maid Park. We provide you with a comprehensive analysis, odds, and predictions to help with your handicapping decision or tail our expert based on the projected lineups and listed starting pitchers.

Betting Odds

Thursday’s Astros vs. Royals matchup has a first pitch set for 8:10 PM ET from Minute Maid Park in Houston. The Astros are 1st in the AL West and are favored on the money line (-153), while the Royals are 2nd in the AL Central and their money line odds are sitting at +129. The over/under line is currently 8 runs.

Brady Singer will start for the Royals, and he is facing off against Hunter Brown for the Astros. If you’re looking to watch this game on TV, it is being carried by AT&T SportsNet SW and Fox Sports Kansas City.

Royals vs. Astros Projected Lineup

Straight Up/Over-Under/ Runline Record

Kansas City Royals: 75-59 SU / OU 62-68 / Runline 75-59
Houston Astros: 71-62 SU / OU 52-76 / Runline 68-65

Royals Records & Recent Play

To close out their series vs. the Guardians, the Royals will be the +131 underdog on the money line. Kansas City is coming off a 7-5 loss to Cleveland. The Royals scored two runs in the 1st inning but gave up the lead right away as the Guardians scored a run in the bottom of the first. Cleveland added another four runs in the 3rd to put things out of reach. Kansas City’s offense scored their other three runs in the 6th.

Michael Wacha will be on the mound for the Royals, and he took the loss in his last start vs. the Guardians. Wacha only lasted six innings, giving up five earned runs on nine hits. Kansas City’s offense was hot early, going 2/2 in the 1st inning, but Vinnie Pasquantino was the only Royals hitter to have more than one hit, going 4/5 with a homer.

Kansas City is 75-59 overall and trails the Guardians by just one game in the AL Central. The Royals are 29-14 against other teams in the division. Today, they are on the road to take on the Astros, and they are 34-31 on the road this year.

As the underdog, the Royals are 32-34 this year compared to 43-25 as the favorite. Kansas City’s overall series record is 20-21-2, and they have won two straight series on the road. Their most recent series win came vs. the Guardians.

When the Royals win, they do so by an average of 4.1 runs per game. In their losses, they lose by an average of 3.4 runs per game. Their run line record is 75-59, and they are 36-29 against the run line on the road. As the underdog, they are 40-26 against the run line.

The Kansas City Royals are on the road today against the Houston Astros. The Over/Under line for the game is set at 8 runs, which is below their season average of 9.0 runs per game. The Royals have played in 86 games with higher lines than 8 runs, which accounts for 64.2% of their games this season. Their Over/Under record when the line is set at 8 runs is 13-11-2.

Astros Records & Recent Play

Heading into their last game vs. the Phillies, the Astros closed out the series with a 10-0 win. Leading up to the game, they were the slight favorite at -124 on the money line. It was a big 1st inning for the Astros, as they scored a run and then added another four runs in the 4th.

Spencer Arrighetti put together a good start for the Astros, going 7 2/3 innings, and didn’t give up a run. He also issued just four hits and struck out 11 Phillies batters. Offensively, the Astros were carried by Yordan Alvarez, who went 4/4 with three homers and four RBIs.

The Astros come into today’s game vs. the Royals with a record of 71-62, which has them leading the AL West by 3.5 games over the Mariners. Houston will be at home today, where they are 35-29 this season. The Astros have gone 36-33 on the road.

Houston lost two of three in their series vs. the Phillies, and they are 4-6 across their last 10 games. As the favorite, the Astros are 53-43 this season and 18-19 as the underdog. Their overall series record is 23-18-2.

When the Astros win, they win by an average of 3.8 runs per game, while their average run differential in losses is -3.1. Their overall run line record is 68-65, with a run line record of 29-35 at home. Houston’s run line record as the favorite is 43-53, while they are 25-12 against the run line as the underdog.

When the Astros play at home, the over/under line is set at 8 runs, which is lower than their season average of 9 runs per game. Their games have gone over the line 52 times and under 76 times this season. Their games have had an average combined run total of 8.5 runs per game this season.

Pitching Matchup

Brady Singer will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Phillies, as he gets the start for the Royals today. In that August 24th start, he took the loss, giving up five earned runs in five innings of work. Looking back further, Singer has lost two of his last three starts and has given up at least four earned runs in three straight outings. The right-hander’s ERA for the season is 3.38, along with a record of 9-9. Singer has made 26 starts, 11 of which were quality starts. Per nine innings, he is averaging 2.45 walks compared to 8.65 strikeouts.

Hunter Brown gets the start for the Astros today and is facing the Royals at home. So far this season, he has made 25 starts and has a record of 11-7 with an ERA of 3.72. Brown’s WHIP for the season is 1.32, and opponents are batting .240 off him this year. In his 25 starts, Brown has turned in 15 quality starts and is averaging 9.68 strikeouts per nine innings. The right-hander most recently faced the Orioles, where he gave up one earned run in six innings of work. Brown finished with a no-decision in that outing. Before that, he had won two straight starts.

Royals vs. Astros Offense Outlook

Heading into today’s game, the Royals are 5th in the league in runs scored at 4.9 runs per contest. This has been even better at home, where they are averaging 5.2 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .258, which is the 4th best mark in the league, and they are also one of the toughest teams in the league to strike out.

Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr. have been two of the league’s top run producers this season, with Perez driving in 94 runs and Witt Jr. at 95 RBIs. Witt Jr. has also been one of the league’s top power threats, as his 28 homers is 9th in the MLB and the best mark on the Royals. Witt Jr. comes into the game on a five-game hitting streak and has three homers in his last seven games.

Yordan Alvarez has been one of the league’s top power threats this season, as his 28 homers are the best mark on the Astros and 9th best in the league. Alvarez is also batting .311 for the season and is 2nd on the team with 71 RBIs. Catcher Yainer Diaz has also been a big run producer for the Astros, as his 72 RBIs are the best mark on the team. Diaz is also batting .297 for the season.

Over his last five games, Ben Gamel has gone 8/18, and Yordan Alvarez has three homers in his last three games, going 6/12 over that stretch. Alvarez is also on a five-game hitting streak. As a team, the Astros are 12th in runs per game at 4.6 and are batting .261, which is the 2nd best mark in the league.

Free Royals vs. Astros MLB Pick

It’s been a rough month of August for Brady Singer, as he has given up 15 runs in 21 2/3 innings and is 1-3 for the month. As for Hunter Brown, he has gone six innings or more in three of his four starts in August, and has given up just five earned runs all month. I like the Astros in this one, and feel good enough about them today to take them to cover the run line.

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