Kansas City Royals vs Houston Astros Prediction, 8/30/2024 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Kansas City Royals vs Houston Astros

Date: Friday, August 30, 2024

Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX

TV: Bally Sports Kansas City

The Houston Astros (71-62) welcome the Kansas City Royals (75-59) at Minute Maid Park on Friday. The pitchers who are expected to start are Seth Lugo and Framber Valdez.

Kansas City has a slugging % of .425 and have been called out on strikes 911 times, while being walked on 350 occasions. They have accrued 636 runs batted in as well as 1,165 hits on the year, and their average at the plate sits at .258. The Royals have compiled 235 doubles as a team and have knocked 153 baseballs out of the park. They have racked up 654 runs scored and hold an on-base percentage of .314. As a unit, the Kansas City Royals are putting up 4.9 runs per game, which puts them at 6th in baseball.

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They have accrued a K/BB ratio of 2.72 and their pitching staff holds a WHIP of 1.27. Royals pitchers have given up 125 long balls and 549 runs (8th in baseball). Kansas City has allowed 1,106 base knocks (8.4 per 9 innings) as well as 509 earned runs. The Royals have an earned run average of 3.88 this season (11th in baseball), and they have rung up 1,072 hitters. Their pitching staff has walked 394 hitters and their FIP sits at 3.88 as a squad so far this season.

Royals pitchers have entered the contest with runners on base 106 times as well as having 122 appearances in high leverage situations. The relievers are sitting with 64 holds on the year (19th in MLB). The Royals relievers have recorded a save percentage of 63.0% and has come into the game in 120 save situations. They have 34 saves so far this season and have blown 20 out of their 54 chances to save the game. The relief pitchers have inherited 188 base runners for the season with 28.2% of those runners crossed home plate. The Royals have sent 415 relief pitchers to the hill so far this year.

The Royals have converted 69.4% of balls hit into play into outs out of 10,617 innings on the diamond, which has them sitting 20th in the majors. The Kansas City Royals have a total of 3,539 putouts at this point in the season, in addition to 1,198 assists and 68 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding steady at .986 which has them sitting 11th in pro baseball, and have accumulated 107 double plays.

Lugo has taken the ball for 813 innings and has totaled 794 strikeouts during his career. His ERA is 3.43 (310 ER's allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.162. He has allowed 729 hits (8.1 hits per nine innings) and has 216 free passes. Lugo (54-39 career win-loss record) sits with a FIP of 3.38 while he has faced 3,354 opposing hitters in the major leagues.

The Houston Astros have a team on-base percentage of .321 and a team batting average of .261 on the season. They have struck out on 964 occasions (28th in the league) and have earned 1,192 hits. Houston is sitting with 160 home runs so far this year as well as 580 runs batted in. The Astros hold a slugging % of .419 and they have an average of 4.56 runs per game (12th in MLB). They have put up 213 doubles, while walking 360 times and scoring 607 runs.

The Astros have a team WHIP of 1.249 and have a FIP of 4.08 as a staff on the campaign. They are sitting at 2nd in baseball as a staff in total hits allowed with 1,005. The Houston pitching staff have relinquished 530 runs for the season while having a team ERA of 3.77 (495 earned runs yielded). Their strikeout to walk ratio is 9.30 (1,218 strikeouts vs 470 walks). They have surrendered 150 home runs and they relinquish 4.04 runs per 9 innings (4th in the league).

Houston relief pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 27.1% of 118 inherited runners. Their relievers have taken the field 125 times in high leverage situations and on 79 occasions with runners on. With 130 save situations, the Astros have compiled 76 holds and 20 blown saves. They are currently ranked 18th in the league holding a save percentage of 62.3%, and they have sent 419 relief pitchers onto the field so far this season. Houston has called on relievers to enter the game in 53 save chances and they have tallied 33 saves.

The Houston Astros have gotten 111 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .986 (9th in the majors). The Astros have recorded 1,071 assists, 65 errors and have amassed 3,543 putouts so far this season. In their 10,629 innings played, the Astros have a defensive efficiency of 70.8% (6th in the majors).

Valdez (66-40 record in his career) has a 3.38 earned run average while allowing 7.6 hits per 9 innings. He has a K/BB ratio of 2.70 and he has faced 3,552 hitters in his career. He has surrendered 321 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.206 and having a FIP of 3.3. Thus far in his career, Valdez has allowed 721 base hits while he has totaled 836 punch outs in 855 innings pitched.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Kansas City

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