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The Kansas City Royals have been on an impressive run to put themselves at the top of the American League Central. They trailed the Cleveland Guardians by ten games at one point, but now it looks like nothing will slow them down in their pursuit of the division crown. The Houston Astros did the same thing to chase the Seattle Mariners in the West, albeit with a much smaller deficit. The Royals have won seven of their last ten games, while the Astros have lost six of their past ten. The Astros are struggling with injuries to many of their top pitchers, making it impressive to be in the place they are in. However, they've had the good fortune of the Mariners struggles since the trade deadline. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Royals-Astros prediction and pick.
Royals-Astros Projected Starters
Brady Singer vs. Hunter Brown
Brady Singer is 9-9 with a 3.38 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP.
Singer's last start was at home against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Royals lost the game 11-2 with Singer going just 5 innings with 5 strikeouts. He allowed 11 hits, 0 walks, and 5 earned runs.
Singer is 3-4 on the road with a 4.04 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP. He has been much better at Kaufmann Stadium, which makes this matchup concerning against the Astros.
Hunter Brown is 11-7 with a 3.72 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP.
Brown's last start was on the road against the Baltimore Orioles. He pitched 6 innings with 6 strikeouts, allowing 3 hits, 2 walks, and 1 earned run.
Brown is 5-3 at home this season with a 3.42 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Royals-Astros Odds
Kansas City Royals: +1.5 (-160)
Moneyline: +132
Houston Astros: -1.5 (+132)
Moneyline: -156
Over: 8 (-114)
Under: 8 (-106)
How to Watch Royals vs. Astros
Time: 8:10 PM ET/5:10 PM PT
TV: Bally Sports Network, Space City Home Network
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why The Royals Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Royals have been riding the strength of their offense on this ride to the top of the American League Central. They are batting .280 with a .333 on-base percentage over the last ten games, averaging 5.4 runs/nine. They also scored 24 runs in their past two games against the Astros, part of a six-game winning streak dating back to last September. They've also won eight of their past nine over Houston.
The Astros are batting just .241 with a .303 on-base percentage over the same span, averaging 3.4 runs/nine. They scored just two runs in two consecutive losses against the Phillies to start their previous series.
Why The Astros Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Royals may own the offensive matchup, but the Astros can counter by winning the pitching battle. Singer has struggled to perform on the road, allowing a 1.44 WHIP. His elevated WHIP numbers make him lucky to have just a 4.04 ERA, and it could be the perfect spot for the Astros to get their offense back on track. It's the opposite for Brown, who has been a stellar 5-3 at home with a 3.42 ERA and 1.20 WHIP.
Final Royals-Astros Prediction & Pick
All signs point to the Royals in this matchup, but the pitching splits for Singer and Brown make the Astros an appealing choice. The Royals will be coming off the high of their dominant performance against the Guardians this past week and may be susceptible to the Astros stealing a win in this game.
Final Royals-Astros Prediction & Pick: Astros ML (-156)
