Kansas City Royals vs. Houston Astros

Date: Sunday, September 1st, 2:10 ET
Location: Minute Maid Park
TV: None
Money Line: Royals +138 / Astros -163
Total Line: 9

Betting Preview

Here’s our betting preview for the upcoming MLB clash between the Houston Astros and the Royals on Sunday, September 1st 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

From Minute Maid Park in Houston, we have an AL matchup between the Royals and Astros. The Astros are currently on a four-game winning streak and are 1st in the AL West, while the Royals have lost four straight and are 2nd in the AL Central.

First pitch for Sunday’s matchup is set for 2:10 PM ET. Ronel Blanco is starting for the Astros, and they are the heavy favorites on the money line at -163. The Royals are starting Alec Marsh, and they will be looking to pull off the upset on the money line (+138). The over/under line is currently at 9 runs.

Royals vs. Astros Projected Lineup

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Straight Up/Over-Under/Runline Record

Kansas City Royals: 75-62 SU / OU 63-70 / Runline 76-61
Houston Astros: 74-62 SU / OU 53-78 / Runline 70-66

Houston cruised to a 5-2 win over the Royals in the most recent game of this series. The Astros had a huge 6th inning, scoring five of their five runs. As for the Royals, they scored their only two runs in the 7th. Heading into the game, the Astros were favored at -128 on the money line.

Yusei Kikuchi pitched well for the Astros in this one, going seven innings and giving up just one run. He finished the game with 12 strikeouts but didn’t factor into the decision. Ryan Pressly got the save. Cole Ragans had a rough outing for the Royals, taking the loss.

Jeremy Pena and Yainer Diaz each had two RBIs for the Astros’ offense. Bobby Witt Jr. hit the game’s only home run for the Royals, going 1/4.

Royals Records & Recent Play

Kansas City is on the road today vs. the Astros, and they are looking to snap a four-game losing streak, which has them at 75-62 overall. The Royals trail the Guardians by 2.5 games in the AL Central and have gone 29-14 against other teams in the division this year. So far, they are 41-28 at home and an even 34-34 on the road.

This season, the Royals have an overall series record of 20-21-2, and they have won two straight series on the road. As the underdog, the Royals are 18-25 this year, and they are 43-25 when favored. Kansas City has dropped four straight as the underdog, and they are 4-6 over their last 10 games overall.

The Royals have a run line record of 37-31 on the road this season, with an average run margin of 0.7 runs per game. As the underdog, they are 41-28 against the run line, compared to 35-33 as the favorite. Their average run margin in winning games is 4.1 runs, while it drops to -3.3 runs in losses.

The Kansas City Royals are on the road facing the Houston Astros today. The O/U line for the game is set at 9 runs, which is slightly higher than their combined run average of 8.9. The Royals have an O/U record of 63-70 this season, and their average O/U line is 8 runs. When the line is set at 9 runs, their record is 14-13-1. This season, 21 of their games have had O/U lines set at 9 runs, accounting for just 15.3% of their games. Their current under streak is at 2 games.

Astros Records & Recent Play

Houston is currently 74-62 overall and leads the AL West by five games over the Mariners. The Astros have won four straight games, and they are 6-4 across their last 10. In the AL West, their record against other teams in the division is 21-18.

As the favorite, the Astros are 56-43 this year and 18-19 as the underdog. At home, they are 38-29 this year and 36-33 on the road. Houston has been good at home when favored, going 35-24 this year. The Astros’ overall series record is 23-18-2.

When the Astros win, they do so by an average of 3.7 runs per game. When they lose, they lose by an average of 3.1 runs per game. Overall, they have a run line record of 70-66, and they have been favored in 99 games, going 45-54 in those contests. They have been the underdog in 37 games, going 25-12 in those games.

The Houston Astros are playing at home against the Kansas City Royals today, and the over/under line for the game is set at 9 runs. The combined run average for Astros games this season is 8.5 runs, and their over/under record is 53-78. The average over/under line for their games is also 9 runs, and when the line is set at 9 runs, their record is 11-8-2. So far this season, 71.3% of their games have had lower over/under lines than 9 runs, and their current under streak is at 2 games.

Pitching Matchup

Right-hander Alec Marsh is getting the start for the Royals today as he faces the Astros on the road. He has made 20 starts this season and has a record of 7-7 with an ERA of 4.67. Marsh’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.25, and he has turned in five quality starts. In his 20 starts, Marsh has allowed a total of 15 home runs. Looking back at his last outing, Marsh finished with a no-decision, giving up two earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. He has not taken a loss since July 23rd.

Ronel Blanco gets the start for the Astros today and has made 25 starts this season. He has a record of 9-6 and an ERA of 3.14. Blanco’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.08. Out of his 25 starts, Blanco has one complete game shutout and 12 quality starts. Blanco’s last outing came against the Phillies, where he went 5 2/3 innings, giving up two earned runs, and finished with a no-decision. He has finished with a no-decision in each of his last three outings. Opponents are batting .188 off Blanco this season.

Royals vs. Astros Offense Outlook

For the season, the Royals are averaging 4.8 runs per game, which is 7th in the league. At home, they have been even better, averaging 5.2 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .256, which is 4th in the league, and are also near the top of the league in terms of fewest strikeouts per game. Kansas City’s offense is also near the top of the league in terms of slugging percentage and isolated power.

Bobby Witt Jr. has been on a tear for the Royals, batting .341 for the season with a team-high 29 home runs. He is also 5th in the league in RBIs. Salvador Perez is also having a strong season, hitting .277 with 25 homers. Over his last eight games, Perez is 10/31 with two homers. First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino has 97 RBIs this season, which is 4th in the league. He has 19 homers and is batting .262.

Yordan Alvarez has been on a tear for the Astros, hitting .474 over his last five games with three homers and four RBIs. Alvarez’s 28 homers this season is 8th in the league and leads the Astros. Overall, he is batting .312, which is the 2nd best mark on the team. Catcher Yainer Diaz is also having a strong season at the plate, leading the team with 74 RBIs while batting .298.

As a team, the Astros are 2nd in the league in batting average, and they also have a strong home run total of 161. Overall, they are averaging 4.6 runs per game and are 11th in the league in slugging percentage. Houston’s offense has been good at avoiding strikeouts this season, but they are just 24th in the league in walks.

Free Royals vs. Astros MLB Pick

Neither one of these pitchers has earned a win since the first half of July, and both Alec Marsh and Ronel Blanco are prone to giving up homers. With the over/under line sitting at 9 runs, my best bet for this one is to take the over.