Houston Astros vs Kansas City Royals Prediction, 9/16/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Houston Astros vs Kansas City Royals

Date: Saturday, September 16, 2023

Location: Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO

TV: Bally Sports Kansas City

Odds/Point Spread: Houston (-142) Kansas City (+120)

Kauffman Stadium is the site where the Kansas City Royals (46-101) will meet the Houston Astros (83-64) on Saturday. The moneyline on this game has Houston at -142 and Kansas City is coming in at +120. The total is set at 9.5. The pitchers taking the mound are J.P. France and Cole Ragans.

Houston has a slugging percentage of .435 and have struck out 1,122 times, while drawing a walk on 501 occasions. They have accrued 732 RBI's as well as 1,311 hits on the season, and their batting average comes in at .260. The Astros have compiled 251 two-baggers as a team and have hit 201 baseballs out of the stadium. They have notched a total of 758 runs scored while holding a team OBP of .332. As a team, the Houston Astros are putting up 5.2 runs per contest, which has them at 5th in the league.

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The Astros have a team earned run average of 3.97 on the campaign (9th in baseball), and their staff has rung up 1,321 batters. Astros pitchers have conceded 186 long balls and also 637 total runs (11th in baseball). They have walked 482 opposing hitters and their FIP sits at 4.35 as a squad this year. Houston has relinquished 1,203 hits (8.2 per 9 innings) in addition to 579 earned runs. Their strikeout to walk ratio is 2.74 and the pitching staff has earned a collective WHIP of 1.28.

Astros pitchers have gone to the mound with runners on base 87 times and also have had 138 appearances in high leverage situations. The bullpen have accumulated 78 holds on the year (15th in baseball). The Astros relief pitchers have compiled a save rate of 70.2% and stepped onto the hill in 136 save situations. They have tallied 40 saves so far this season and have not converted 17 out of their 57 chances to save the game. The relief pitchers have inherited 141 runners this year with 31.2% of them earned a run for their team. The Astros have sent 463 relievers to the mound on the campaign.

The Houston Astros have notched a total of 3,940 putouts over the course of the season, as well as 1,231 assists and 71 errors. Their fielding rate is at .986 which has them sitting 12th in professional baseball, and have accumulated 133 double plays. The Astros have converted 69.6% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 11,820 innings, which has them sitting at 10th in professional baseball.

France has taken the mound for 127 innings and is sitting with 96 punch outs during his career. His earned run average is 3.61 (51 earned runs allowed) and his WHIP is 1.323. He has surrendered 126 base knocks (8.9 hits per nine innings) and has 42 walks. France (11-5 win-loss mark in his career) sits with a FIP of 4.73 and he has gone up against 538 hitters during his time in the major leagues.

The Royals hold a slugging % of .395 and they are scoring 4.09 runs per contest (26th in the league). They have hit 239 two-baggers, while taking a walk 366 times as well as putting up 601 runs. Kansas City has hit 145 home runs so far this season to go along with 580 runs batted in. They have been rung up on 1,269 instances (16th in the league) and have recorded 1,197 hits. The Kansas City Royals have recorded an OBP of .301 and a team batting average of .242 so far this season.

The Kansas City pitching staff have relinquished 785 runs so far this season and come in with a team ERA of 5.22 (740 earned runs relinquished). They have conceded 189 dingers and they yield 5.53 runs per 9 innings (28th in MLB). The Royals hold a team WHIP of 1.407 in addition to having a FIP of 4.71 as a unit for the season. Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 8.10 (1,148 strikeouts against 496 free passes). They come in at 25th in baseball as a pitching staff in total hits given up with 1,301.

Kansas City has called on relievers to enter the contest in 42 save opportunities and they have walked away with 20 saves. They are currently ranked 30th in the league with a save rate of 47.6%, and they have dispatched 476 relief pitchers to the hill so far this year. Their relievers have taken the field 119 times in high leverage situations and on 105 occasions with base runners. Kansas City bullpen pitchers hold an inherited score rate of 37.9% out of their 169 inherited base runners. With 97 save situations, the Royals have earned 55 holds in addition to 22 blown saves.

The Kansas City Royals have turned 114 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .986 (14th in MLB). The Royals have 1,275 assists, 73 errors and have earned 3,831 putouts this season. In 11,493 innings on the field, the Royals are sitting with a defensive efficiency of 68.4% (23rd in MLB).

In his career, Ragans has allowed 99 base knocks while he has tallied 120 strikeouts in 117 frames. He has allowed 48 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.241 and having a FIP of 3.6. His strikeout to walk ratio is 2.55 and he has gone up against 487 hitters during his pro baseball career. Ragans (6-7 win-loss mark in his career) has earned a 3.67 ERA while allowing 7.6 hits per nine innings.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Kansas City (+120)

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