Houston Astros vs Kansas City Royals Prediction, 8/18/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Houston Astros vs Kansas City Royals

Date: Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Location: Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO

TV: Bally Sports Kansas City

Odds/Point Spread: Houston (-185) Kansas City (+140)

Brady Singer and the Kansas City Royals (50-67, 5th in AL Central) host the Houston Astros (70-48, 1st in AL West) at Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday. The Astros open this game at -185 while the Royals are priced at +140. The over/under has been set at 9. The pitchers taking the mound will be Zack Greinke and Brady Singer.

The Astros have compiled 220 doubles as a team and have hit 157 baseballs out of the stadium. Houston has a slugging rate of .440 and have been called out on strikes 898 times, while being walked on 414 occasions. As a squad, the Houston Astros are putting up 5.4 runs/g, which ranks them 1st in MLB. They have 608 runs batted in in addition to 1,078 base knocks so far this year, while their team batting average is at .267. They are sitting with 633 runs scored while holding a team OBP of .338.

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Astros pitchers have conceded 139 home runs and also 469 runs in total (6th in baseball). Their pitching staff has walked 394 hitters and their FIP is 4.11 as a squad so far this year. Their strikeout to walk ratio is 2.75 and their pitching staff holds a WHIP of 1.22. The Astros have an earned run average of 3.65 this year (5th in the league), and their staff has rung up 1,082 batters.

The Astros relievers have accumulated a save rate of 61.0% and has come into the game in 94 save situations. The relief pitchers have inherited 150 runners for the year and 36.0% of those players earned a run for their team. Astros pitchers have gone to the mound with opponents on base 98 times in addition to having 107 appearances in high leverage situations. The Astros have sent 360 relief pitchers to the mound so far this season. The bullpen have a total of 52 holds for the season (20th in baseball). They have earned 25 saves this season and have blown 16 of their 41 chances to get a save.

The Houston Astros have notched a total of 3,150 putouts this year, in addition to 996 assists and 48 errors. Their fielding rate sits at .989 which has them ranked 1st in baseball, and have earned 866 double plays. The Astros have transformed 71.7% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 9,450 innings on the field, which ranks them 2nd in baseball.

Greinke has taken the ball for 3,082 innings and has accumulated 2,796 punch outs so far in his pro baseball career. His ERA is 3.38 (1,156 earned runs allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.156. He has allowed 2,860 base knocks (8.3 hits per 9 innings) and has had 705 walks. Greinke (219-129 career win-loss record) sits with a FIP of 3.42 while he has gone up against 12,578 batters in the major leagues.

The Royals hold a slugging percentage of .386 and they score 4.10 runs per contest (25th in the league). They have 165 two-baggers, while walking 308 times and scoring 480 runs. Kansas City has 117 home runs so far this season as well as 454 RBIs. They have been rung up on 937 occasions (28th in baseball) and have 940 hits. The Kansas City Royals have accounted for an OBP of .302 and a batting average of .242 for the year.

The Kansas City pitching staff have allowed 589 runs this year while having a team ERA of 4.95 (559 earned runs surrendered). They have conceded 147 home runs and they concede 5.22 runs per 9 innings (26th in the league). The Royals hold a team WHIP of 1.425 with a FIP of 4.55 as a team on the year. They currently have a K/BB ratio of 2.24 (999 strikeouts against 445 bases on balls). They rank 22nd in the league as a staff in total hits relinquished with 1,003.

Kansas City has had relief pitchers step onto the hill in 43 save chances and they have earned 25 saves. They are ranked 20th in baseball with a save rate of 58.1%, and they have sent 400 relievers to the mound so far this year. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the mound 100 times in high leverage situations and on 110 occasions with runners on base. Kansas City bullpen pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 29.7% out of 175 inherited base runners. Sitting with 100 save situations, the Royals have earned 57 holds and 18 blown saves.

Out of their 9,144 innings on the diamond, the Royals have a defensive efficiency of 67.9% (27th in pro baseball). The Kansas City Royals have turned 115 double plays and have a fielding percentage of .984 (17th in pro baseball). The Royals have accrued 1,018 assists, 65 errors and have earned a total of 3,048 putouts so far this season.

Singer (7-13 career win-loss mark) has a 4.86 ERA while surrendering 9.3 hits per 9 innings. He has a K/BB ratio of 2.46 and he has faced 689 batters so far in his pro baseball career. He has conceded a total of 84 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.439 and having a FIP of 4.0. During his pro baseball career, Singer has allowed 161 base hits and he has 155 punch outs in 155 innings.

Who will win tonight's MLB game ATS?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Houston (-185)

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