Houston Astros vs Kansas City Royals Betting Pick & Prediction 4/9/24
At 7:40 PM ET in Kansas City, the Astros and Royals will square off in an AL matchup at Kauffman Stadium. The Astros are a slight favorite on the road, with a money line payout of -127 compared to the Royals at +107.
Looking at the over/under line, oddsmakers have set the line at 8.5 runs, with the over paying out at -118 compared to the under at -104. On the mound for the Astros is Cristian Javier, while Cole Ragans will get the start for the Royals.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS VS HOUSTON ASTROS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Kansas City Royals Moneyline +107
This game will be played at Kauffman Stadium at 7:40 ET on Tuesday, April 9th.
HOW TO BET THE ASTROS VS ROYALS:
- We have the Royals winning by a score of 6 to 5
- If you’re looking for a run line pick, we also like the Royals to cover
- As for an over/under pick, we have this game finishing with 11 runs and like the over
Astros Records & Stats
The Astros and Rangers close out their series with a high-scoring game, with Houston coming out on top by a score of 10-5. This game was all tied at 2-2 heading into the 9th, where the Astros offense exploded for eight runs in their half of the 9th. The Rangers were able to score three times in the bottom of the 9th, but it was too little too late.
Yordan Alvarez had a huge game for the Astros, going 3/5 with a homer and three RBIs. Victor Caratini also went deep, driving in three runs and going 2/4. Alex Bregman had three hits and scored a run.
After splitting their first two games of the series with the Rangers, the Astros will now head to Kansas City to take on the Royals. The Astros are currently 4-7 on the season and are 2.5 games behind the Angels for 2nd place in the AL West.
So far this season, the Astros have been much better on the road, going 2-2 compared to just 2-5 at home. They have also been much better as an underdog, going 2-0 compared to just 2-7 as the favorite.
The Astros have been a tough team to figure out when it comes to the run line this season. They are 4-7 overall, but they are 2-5 at home and 2-2 on the road. They have covered the run line in two straight games, but they have failed to cover in two straight games when they have been favored. They are 2-0 against the run line as an underdog this season.
Despite the Houston Astros’ games having an average over/under line of 9 runs, the over/under line for today’s game against the Kansas City Royals is set at 8.5 runs. The Astros’ games have averaged 8.5 runs this season, and their over/under record is 3-7. In their last 10 games, the over/under line has been set at 8.5 runs just once, and the outcome was an over.
Cristian Javier will be making his first road start of the season, as he and the Astros are taking on the Royals. Javier has been solid in his first two outings, picking up a win in his first start and then going 6 innings in his last outing, allowing just 1 hit. He has 9 strikeouts in 11 innings of work so far this season.
For the Astros, we like Jose Altuve to have a solid day at the plate, as his hits projection is the best on the team and 15th best in the league today. Yordan Alvarez has the best odds to hit a home run for the Astros, with the 7th best odds in the league. If you’re looking for a longshot, Yainer Diaz has the 2nd best odds to hit a home run on the team and the 10th best in the league.
Royals Records & Stats
The Royals closed out their series with the White Sox by picking up a 5-3 win. Going into the game, they were favored at -130 on the money line. This game got tense at the end, as the White Sox pulled to within two runs in the 8th inning, but James McArthur was able to close things out and earned the save.
Alec Marsh went 4 2/3 innings for the Royals, giving up three earned runs and eight hits. He struggled with his command in the outing, giving up three walks. Hunter Renfroe and MJ Melendez went deep for the Royals, with Renfroe driving in two runs and Melendez finishing with two RBI’s.
Cole Ragans will be making his third start of the season for the Royals, and he will be facing the Astros at home. Ragans has been solid in his first two starts, going 6 innings in each. He took the loss in his first start against the Twins, but he was able to bounce back with a no-decision against the Orioles, where he struck out 7 and only allowed 1 hit.
If you’re looking at the Royals’ player props for total hits and home runs, Bobby Witt Jr. is the top player to target. He has the highest hits projection on the team and the 12th highest in the league today. Witt Jr. also has the best odds to hit a home run for the Royals, with the 8th best odds in the league. Nelson Velázquez has the 2nd best odds to hit a home run for the Royals and the 9th best odds in the league.