Royals vs. Astros Odds, Expert Picks, Analysis & Score Prediction

It’s a potential American League playoff preview on Thursday to open a series as the Kansas City Royals, who should either win the AL Central or get a wild-card spot, visit the AL West-leading Houston Astros, who are solid favorites on the MLB odds behind Hunter Brown.

Kansas City at Houston: 2024 MLB Expert Analysis

Kansas City Royals +125

Kansas City is 20-21-2 in series play, including wins in three of the last four. It just took three of four at Cleveland to open this week and tied the Guardians for the AL Central lead after Tuesday’s win but blew a late lead Wednesday in a loss to fall a game back again.

The Royals were a 100-loss team in 2023, but are on pace for about 91 wins this year. That would set an MLB record for wins by a team following a 100-loss season.

Michael Lorenzen

However, KC took a bit of a hit when starting pitcher, a trade acquisition from Texas, was placed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a strained left hamstring. Alec Marsh is likely to slide into Lorenzen’s rotation spot, and that’s a major downgrade.

Bobby Witt Jr.

The superstar shortstop, who probably finishes second in the AL MVP voting behind the Yankees’ Aaron Judge, was hit by a pitch in the hand Tuesday and needed X-rays, but those were negative and Witt was in Wednesday’s lineup in Cleveland. With Witt, Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino, the Royals are the only team in the majors to have three players with at least 90 RBIs. It’s only the fifth time in franchise history that KC has three such players. Only twice has it had a trio of players to reach 100 RBIs, in 1999 and 2000. Perez is tied with Aaron Judge for the Major League lead with 28 go-ahead RBIs, and Pasquantino is 3rd with 26. Witt Jr. leads MLB in hits, batting average and runs.

Brady Singer on the Hill

It’s righty on the mound Thursday. Singer (9-9) allowed five runs on 11 hits and struck out five without walking a batter over five-plus innings, taking the loss versus the Phillies on Saturday. Singer was decent through five innings, but he was on the hook for a J.T. Realmuto three-run home run in the sixth.

Singer has now allowed at least four runs in three of his last four starts, and his ERA is 6.23 despite 26 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings in that time. Since the All-Star break, Singer has three scoreless outings, but also has given up three or more runs in his other four starts in that span. Overall, he has a 3.38 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 14 strikeouts 146.2 innings over 26 starts.

JOIN NOW

Latest Odds provided by MyBookie Sportsbook

Houston Astros -154

All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker, out since June with a lower leg injury, has begun sprinting and is close to running the bases. That is viewed as Tucker’s final checkpoint before being sent out on a rehab assignment, and he could take that step soon after being cleared to sprint. It’s unclear how many rehab games Tucker will require, but he and the Astros have been tentatively aiming for an early-September return.

"Hopefully, we'll get [Kyle Tucker] back sometime early September. Hopefully, the first week."

Astros GM Dana Brown joins @MLBNow to give an update on star outfielder Kyle Tucker as he rehabs from a shin injury. pic.twitter.com/giz52SdLDy
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) August 23, 2024

Jason Heyward

Earlier this week, the Astros added outfield help in signing former Gold Glover Jason Heyward after he was released by the Dodgers. He is 4th on the club in appearances since being acquired.

Hunter Brown on the Hill

It’s righty on the mound Thursday.

The 25-year-old has three quality starts in four August outings while yielding two earned runs or fewer in each. Overall, he has 14th quality starts in his last 17 outings and has dropped his season ERA down to 3.72. That’s a far cry from 9.78, where it stood at the end of May. One big change has been Brown implementing a sinker against the Mariners on May 5, specifically against right-handed hitters. It has become his most used pitch against right-handers, with a usage rate pushing almost 50% in July and August. Before implementing his sinker, right-handed hitters had a .439 batting average and a .683 slugging percentage against Brown.

He is an ugly 0-2 with a 36.82 ERA in two career appearances vs. Kansas City.