Kansas City Royals vs Houston Astros Prediction, 7/4/2022 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Kansas City Royals vs Houston Astros

Date: Monday, July 4, 2022

Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX

TV: AT&T SportsNet Southwest

The Kansas City Royals (28-48) are hitting the road to Minute Maid Park on Monday where they will take on the Houston Astros (50-27). The pitchers who are expected to start will be Jon Heasley and Justin Verlander.

As a unit, the Kansas City Royals are recording 3.8 runs per game, which has them at 27th in MLB. They are sitting with 286 runs while having a team OBP of .303. The Royals have tallied 121 doubles as a unit and have hit 61 baseballs out of the park. They have recorded 272 RBI's and 603 hits over the course of the season, and their average at the plate sits at .238. Kansas City has a slugging % of .373 and have struck out 571 times, while taking a walk on 224 occasions.

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The Royals have compiled a team earned run average of 4.92 for the season (27th in the league), and their staff has rung up 540 hitters. They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 1.84 and their pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.47. Royals pitchers have relinquished 78 long balls and 387 runs (25th in baseball). Their pitching staff has walked 293 players from the other team and their FIP is 4.49 as a squad this season.

The Royals relievers have a save rate of 64.0% and has come into the game in 65 save situations. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 156 base runners on the campaign and 30.1% of those players crossed the plate. Royals pitchers have gone to the mound with runners on base 99 times and also have had 83 appearances in high leverage situations. The Royals have dispatched 272 relief pitchers to the mound on the season. The relievers have accumulated 38 holds so far this season (19th in the league). They have 16 saves for the season and have blown 9 of their 25 save opportunities.

The Kansas City Royals have accumulated 1,980 putouts for the season, as well as 692 assists and 32 errors. Their fielding rate is at .988 which has them sitting 5th in MLB, and they have turned 61 double plays. The Royals have transformed 68.7% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 5,940 innings on the field, which has them sitting at 23rd in pro baseball.

Heasley has pitched in 59 innings and has 41 punch outs during his pro baseball career. His earned run average is 5.13 (34 ER's allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.441. He has conceded 59 base knocks (8.9 hits per 9 innings) and has 27 free passes. Heasley (2-5 win-loss mark in his career) holds a FIP of 5.72 and he has faced 260 batters in the majors.

The Astros have a team slugging percentage of .420 and they tally 4.34 runs per game (19th in the league). They have hit 123 doubles, while walking 268 times and notching 330 runs. Houston has accounted for 106 home runs for the year and 322 runs batted in. They have struck out on 565 occasions (29th in the league) and have notched a total of 599 base knocks. The Houston Astros have earned an OBP of .317 in addition to a team batting average of .238 on the campaign.

The Astros hold a team WHIP of 1.102 and are the owners of a FIP of 3.55 as a staff this year. They are sitting at 1st in baseball as a pitching staff in total hits conceded with 525. The Houston pitching staff have allowed 250 runs on the campaign while having a team ERA of 2.93 (219 earned runs conceded). Their K/BB ratio sits at 3.03 (654 strikeouts against 216 walks). They have allowed 65 HR's and they surrender 3.35 runs per 9 innings (3rd in baseball).

Sitting with 79 save situations, the Astros have 50 holds in addition to 6 blown saves. Houston has had relievers step onto the mound in 29 save opportunities and they have converted 23 saves. Their relievers have stepped onto the hill 74 times in high leverage situations and on 50 occasions with runners on. Houston relief pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 27.0% of 74 inherited runners. They rank 2nd in MLB with a save percentage of 79.3%, and they have dispatched 230 bullpen pitchers onto the field so far this season.

In their 6,054 innings on the diamond, the Astros are sitting with a defensive efficiency of 72.8% (1st in professional baseball). The Houston Astros have turned 54 double plays and have a fielding rate of .986 (10th in MLB). The Astros have accrued 607 assists, 36 errors and have accumulated 2,018 putouts so far this year.

Verlander (236-132 career record) has a 3.29 ERA while conceding 7.6 hits per 9 innings. His strikeout to walk ratio is 3.57 and he has faced 12,586 hitters during his career. He has surrendered 1,127 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.125 and a FIP of 3.4. During his pro baseball career, Verlander has allowed 2,602 base knocks while he has accumulated 3,103 K's in 3,085 innings.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Houston

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