Houston Astros vs Kansas City Royals Prediction, 9/17/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Houston Astros vs Kansas City Royals

Date: Sunday, September 17, 2023

Location: Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO

TV: Bally Sports Kansas City

Odds/Point Spread: Houston (-238) Kansas City (+195)

The Houston Astros (83-65) are en route to Kauffman Stadium on Sunday where they will take on the Kansas City Royals (47-101). The line on this contest has Houston at -238 while Kansas City is priced at +195. The over/under has been set at 10. The expected starting pitchers will be Framber Valdez and Jordan Lyles.

Houston has a slugging rate of .435 and have struck out 1,131 times, while drawing a walk on 504 occasions. They have earned 734 RBI's as well as 1,318 hits for the year, while their average at the plate is at .259. The Astros have compiled 253 doubles as a team and have hit 202 balls out of the park. They have notched a total of 760 runs scored while having a team OBP of .331. As a team, the Houston Astros are putting up 5.1 runs per game, which is 5th in MLB.

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The Astros hold a team ERA of 3.96 so far this year (9th in MLB), and their staff has struck out 1,332 batters. Astros pitchers have allowed 189 home runs and 641 total runs (12th in MLB). Their pitching staff has walked 486 players from the other team and their FIP is 4.37 as a team so far this year. Houston has relinquished 1,212 hits (8.3 per 9 innings) in addition to 582 earned runs. They have a K/BB ratio of 2.74 and their pitching staff sits with a WHIP of 1.29.

The Astros have dispatched 467 relievers to the hill for the season. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 143 runners so far this season and 30.8% of those players ended up scoring. They have compiled 40 saves on the season and have blown 17 of their 57 chances to save the game. The Astros relief pitchers have earned a save percentage of 70.2% and stepped onto the hill in 136 save situations. The relievers have recorded 78 holds on the year (16th in the league). Astros relief pitchers have come into the game with opponents on base 88 times and also have had 138 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Astros have converted 69.6% of balls hit into play into outs in their 11,892 innings on the field, which has them sitting at 10th in professional baseball. The Houston Astros have 3,964 putouts over the course of the season, in addition to 1,235 assists and 71 errors. Their fielding percentage sits at .987 which ranks 11th in professional baseball, and they have turned 134 double plays.

Valdez has thrown 696 innings and has 675 punch outs in his career. Valdez (52-33 career win-loss mark) holds a FIP of 3.62 and he has faced 2,903 hitters during his time in the major leagues. His earned run average is 3.36 (260 ER's allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.211. He has allowed 586 hits (7.6 hits per 9 innings) and has 257 free passes.

The Royals have a team slugging % of .396 and they are scoring 4.09 runs per game (26th in MLB). They have recorded 240 doubles, while walking 370 times and recording 605 runs. Kansas City has accumulated 148 long balls so far this season as well as 584 RBIs. They have struck out on 1,280 occasions (16th in MLB) and have a total of 1,206 hits. The Kansas City Royals have an on-base percentage of .301 as well as a team batting average of .243 for the season.

The Royals have a WHIP of 1.405 with a FIP of 4.71 as a unit on the year. They are sitting at 25th in the league as a staff in total hits surrendered with 1,308. The Kansas City pitching staff have surrendered 787 runs so far this year while holding an ERA of 5.19 (742 earned runs relinquished). Their K/BB ratio sits at 8.10 (1,157 strikeouts against 499 bases on balls). They have yielded 190 dingers and they concede 5.51 runs per 9 innings (28th in the league).

Kansas City has had relief pitchers take the mound in 43 save chances and they have tallied 21 saves. They rank 27th in the league holding a save rate of 48.8%, and they have dispatched 480 relief pitchers to the hill this season. Their bullpen pitchers have taken the field 119 times in high leverage situations in addition to 105 occasions with runners on. Kansas City relief pitchers have an inherited score rate of 37.9% out of their 169 inherited runners. With 100 save situations, the Royals have tallied 57 holds and also 22 blown saves.

In 11,574 innings played, the Royals are sitting with a defensive efficiency of 68.4% (23rd in professional baseball). The Kansas City Royals have turned 116 double plays and have a fielding percentage of .986 (14th in professional baseball). The Royals have accrued 1,285 assists, 74 errors and have earned a total of 3,858 putouts so far this year.

During his career, Lyles has given up 1,612 base hits and he has 1,129 punch outs in 1,487 innings. He has given up a total of 867 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.412 and a FIP of 4.8. His strikeout to walk ratio is 2.32 and he has faced 6,498 opposing batters in his MLB career. Lyles (70-106 career mark) is the owner of a 5.25 ERA and has surrendered 9.8 hits per 9 innings.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Houston (-238)

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