Kansas City Royals vs Houston Astros Prediction, 8/25/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Kansas City Royals vs Houston Astros

Date: Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX

TV: AT&T SportsNet Southwest

Odds/Point Spread: Kansas City (+190) Houston (-256)

Minute Maid Park is the venue where Lance McCullers Jr and the Houston Astros (73-52, 1st in AL West) will take on the Kansas City Royals (56-68, 4th in AL Central) on Wednesday. The Astros open this game at -256 while the Royals are priced at +190. The O/U is set at 7.5. The starting pitchers are Mike Minor and Lance McCullers Jr.

As a team, the Kansas City Royals are knocking in 4.2 runs per game, which is 23rd in baseball. They are sitting with 515 runs scored while having a team on-base percentage of .304. The Royals have earned 179 doubles as a squad and have knocked 125 baseballs out of the stadium. They have accrued 485 runs batted in as well as 1,010 base knocks so far this season, while their team batting average is at .245. Kansas City is slugging .390 and have struck out 982 times, while being walked on 323 occasions.

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Royals pitchers have allowed 149 long balls and also 604 total runs (21st in the league). Their pitching staff has walked 467 players from the other team and their FIP is 4.43 as a team for the season. Their strikeout to walk ratio is 2.27 and their pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.40. The Royals have a team earned run average of 4.77 over the course of the season (26th in the league), and their staff has struck out 1,060 batters.

The Royals have sent 423 relievers to the hill over the course of the season. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 184 base runners on the season and 29.3% of those runners earned a run for their team. They have earned 28 saves for the season and have blown 18 out of their 46 chances to get a save. The Royals relief pitchers have compiled a save rate of 60.9% and stepped onto the hill in 111 save situations. The relief pitchers have a total of 65 holds on the campaign (12th in the league). Royals bullpen pitchers have come into the game with runners on base 116 times as well as having 114 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Kansas City Royals have amassed 3,240 putouts this season, as well as 1,083 assists and 67 errors. Their fielding percentage is at .985 which ranks 15th in the majors, and they have turned 849 double plays. The Royals have transformed 68.2% of balls hit into play into outs out of 9,720 innings on the diamond, which has them sitting 27th in the majors.

Minor has taken the hill for 1,294 innings and has 1,187 strikeouts in his MLB career. His ERA is 4.13 (594 earned runs allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.228. He has conceded 1,214 hits (8.4 hits per 9 innings) and has 375 free passes. Minor (79-77 win-loss record in his career) has earned a FIP of 4.02 and he has faced 5,379 opposing batters in the majors.

The Houston Astros have an OBP of .339 and a team batting average of .268 for the season. They have struck out on 949 instances (30th in baseball) and have totaled 1,151 base hits. Houston has accumulated 164 home runs on the season as well as 647 runs batted in. The Astros have a SLG% of .442 and they earn 5.38 runs per contest (1st in the league). They have recorded 237 doubles, while getting a free base 441 times as well as scoring 673 runs.

The Astros hold a team WHIP of 1.211 and have a FIP of 4.09 as a squad this year. They rank 8th in MLB as a pitching staff in total hits given up with 939. The Houston pitching staff have surrendered 495 runs on the year while having an ERA of 3.64 (450 earned runs given up). They have earned a K/BB ratio of 2.77 (1,137 strikeouts against 410 bases on balls). They have conceded 147 HR's and they relinquish 4.00 runs per 9 innings (5th in the league).

Sitting with 98 save situations, the Astros have amassed 53 holds and 18 blown saves. Houston has called on relief pitchers to take the mound in 44 save opportunities and they have walked away with 26 saves. Their relief pitchers have taken the field 114 times in high leverage situations and on 105 occasions with runners on. Houston relief pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 34.8% of 155 inherited runners. They are currently ranked 21st in baseball holding a save rate of 59.1%, and they have dispatched 381 bullpen pitchers onto the field for the season.

The Houston Astros have twisted 88 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .989 (1st in professional baseball). The Astros have accrued 1,079 assists, 49 errors and have earned 3,342 putouts during this campaign. In 10,026 innings played, the Astros have earned a efficiency on defense of 71.7% (3rd in MLB).

McCullers (42-29 career record) has a 3.60 ERA while allowing 7.7 hits per nine innings. He has a K/BB ratio of 2.79 and he has faced 2,654 hitters during his MLB career. He has conceded a total of 252 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.258 and a FIP of 3.3. So far in his career, McCullers has surrendered 538 hits while accumulating 709 K's in 629 frames.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Houston (-256)

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