Free MLB Pick: Royals vs. Astros Odds
Looking for Kansas City Royals vs. Houston Astros Free MLB predictions? MLB betting sees the Royals taking on the Astros on Monday, July 4th, 2022 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all MLB baseball matchups all season long so stay tuned for more FREE daily MLB predictions like this Royals-Astros free pick.
2022 MLB Handicapping
(29-48) Kansas City Royals vs. Houston Astros (51-27)
Date: Monday, July 4th, 2022
Time: 4:10 PM ET
Venue: Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX
Projected Pitchers: Jonathan Heasley (KC) vs. Jake Odorizzi (HOU)
MLB Moneyline Odds: Royals +207 / Astros -263
MLB run line Betting Odds: Royals +1.5 / Astros -1.5
MLB Baseball Gambling Total: O/U: 9
The Royals will be starting a series with the Astros on Monday afternoon.
Houston is a very big favorite at home in this one with the total sitting at 9.
Jonathan Heasley will be going against Jake Odorizzi in this ball game.
Kansas City Royals
As more and more of the season goes on, the Royals continue to be one of the worst teams in all of baseball.
So far, there have not been a lot of positive things surrounding this team in 2022. There are certain times when a team just does not do anything well and that has been the case for this group all year long.
It was understood that Kansas City was not going to be some great team this year, but the expectations were certainly higher than what they have done so far. Even with a team that is not overly talented, it is reasonable for them to be better than 19 games below .500.
The reality of the Royals at the present time is they have a lot of work to do when it comes to improving their roster. I am not saying they do not have nice players scattered around, but it sure as hell is not enough to make them very competitive. Unless they seriously change some of the guys on this team, there will not be a ton of success that just comes their way.
Although they did not face the best team over the weekend, they were able to take two of three from the Tigers, which still was a bit surprising. The thought of this team winning a series against anyone has not seemed all that possible for the majority of this season.
In the three games with Detroit, the pitching was solid and the offense also did its job. In the finale on Sunday, Brady Singer looked very good, as he went 4.2 innings, allowed 2 earned runs, and punched out 9 batters in the 7-4 victory.
Starting on Monday, Kansas City will be facing one of its biggest challenges of the season when they hit the road to face this Astros team. If they are not careful, a lot of their weaknesses could be exposed in this series.
Jonathan Heasley will be starting on Monday and he really has not been very impressive this season. He comes into this contest with a record of 1-4 and an ERA of 5.20 and now has to face off with a very dangerous lineup.
Houston Astros
For as bad as the Royals have been, the Astros have been the exact opposite and frankly, they are one of the best teams in baseball at the moment.
In terms of the American League, the Yankees are still the cream of the crop, but this Astros team is not far behind and they deserve as much credit and praise as they can get.
Throughout the course of the season, they have been able to follow a simple formula, really. They win a lot of their series, they really beat up on the teams they should beat, and they also play well against teams that are either equal to them or a little better. When a team does that, it is not surprising they have an impressive record.
Something else that is important to point out about this group is the fact they have been able to take care of a weaker division. I am not suggesting that all of the teams are horrible, but they have proven to be very beatable once again in the 2022 season.
There was some chatter before the season and even during the early part of the season about how teams like the Angels, Mariners, and Rangers could potentially give the Stros some real trouble in the division, but that just has not been the case. Sure, it is not as if those clubs could not beat Houston on a given day, but the thought of them being true competition in the West is still absurd.
Coming into this 4th of July contest, this squad holds a record of 51-27 and they are in clear control of the AL West. Unless there is some sort of epic collapse and another team in the division gets red hot, the division for them is a lock.
The previously mentioned LA Angels were not able to have a ton of success at Minute Maid Park over the weekend, as they dropped all 3 games. In those games, the Astros outscored them by a 21-4 margin.
In the 4-2 win on Sunday, Framber Valdez went 6 innings while allowing 2 earned runs and struck out 13 batters. Jake Odorizzi will look to follow what he did in the opener with the Royals Monday.
MLB Baseball Betting Trends:
- The Royals are 22-48 in their last 70 Monday games.
- The Royals are 7-17 in their last 24 games following a win.
- The Astros are 19-7 in their last 26 games vs. a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30.
- The Astros are 40-16 in their last 56 games.
Kansas City Royals vs. Houston Astros MLB Prediction:
The Royals did play pretty well in their last series, but I have a hard time seeing that carry over to Monday. This is a totally different team they are about to play and I do not feel they are ready.
First off, Heasley is a guy who is hard to have a ton of confidence in. None of his numbers are all that great and now he has to go against this offense, which I do not see ending up well for him.
Odorizzi might not have the most electric stuff, but he has still been solid and he can definitely keep this order in check.
In this spot, I like the Astros on the Runline.
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