Houston Astros vs Kansas City Royals Prediction, 4/26/2025 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Houston Astros vs Kansas City Royals

Date: Saturday, April 26, 2025

Location: Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City

Odds/Point Spread: Houston (-150) Kansas City (+125)

The Houston Astros (13-11) are traveling to Kauffman Stadium on Saturday where they will compete against the Kansas City Royals (10-14). The moneyline on this contest has the Astros at -150 while the Royals are at +125. The over/under comes in at 8. The pitchers who are expected to start are Framber Valdez and Michael Wacha.

As a team, the Houston Astros are notching 3.8 runs per outing, which ranks them 23rd in MLB. They have 92 runs and hold an on-base percentage of .310. The Astros have recorded 28 doubles as a team and have hit 19 balls out of the stadium. They have accounted for 85 runs batted in as well as 186 hits this season, while their team batting average is at .236. Houston has a slugging rate of .349 and have been called out on strikes 197 times, while drawing a walk on 78 occasions.

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The Astros hold a team earned run average of 3.26 this season (4th in baseball), and the staff has struck out 225 hitters. Astros pitchers have surrendered 21 long balls and 81 runs in total (3rd in the league). They have walked 71 batters and their FIP sits at 3.31 as a unit for the season. Houston has conceded 161 hits (6.7 per 9 innings) and 78 earned runs. They have a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.17 and their pitching staff holds a WHIP of 1.08.

The Astros have sent 77 relievers to the mound this year. The relievers have inherited 26 runners so far this season with 30.8% of those players crossed the plate. They have accumulated 8 saves this year and have blown 3 of 11 save chances. The Astros relievers have a save percentage of 72.7% and stepped onto the hill in 30 save situations. The bullpen have recorded 19 holds this season (7th in the league). Astros bullpen pitchers have entered the game with opponents on base 19 times and also have had 22 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Astros have converted 73.3% of balls in play into outs out of their 1,941 innings on the field, which has them sitting 5th in professional baseball. The Detroit Tigers have earned 647 putouts for the season, in addition to 187 assists and 10 errors. Their fielding percentage sits at .988 which has them sitting 8th in pro baseball, and have 14 double plays.

Valdez has taken the hill for 916 innings and has 892 strikeouts so far in his pro baseball career. Valdez (69-43 career mark) is the owner of a FIP of 3.29 while he has gone up against 3,800 batters during his time in the major leagues. His earned run average is 3.34 (340 earned runs allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.201. He has given up 768 base hits (7.5 hits per 9 innings) with 332 walks.

The Royals have a team slugging percentage of .310 and they are scoring 2.96 runs per outing (30th in the league). They have 35 two-baggers, while taking a walk 67 times as well as scoring 71 runs. Kansas City has knocked in 12 home runs this year as well as 71 runs batted in. They have struck out on 183 occasions (25th in the league) and have recorded 167 hits. The Kansas City Royals have a team on-base percentage of .279 and a batting average of .212 on the campaign.

The Royals have a team WHIP of 1.273 and are the owners of a FIP of 3.65 as a pitching staff so far this season. They currently have a strikeout to walk ratio of 8.40 (199 strikeouts against 83 free passes). They come in at 9th in MLB as a staff in total hits allowed with 187. They have surrendered 20 homers and they surrender 3.99 runs per 9 innings (8th in MLB). The Kansas City pitching staff have relinquished 94 runs on the campaign while holding an ERA of 3.56 (84 earned runs relinquished).

Kansas City bullpen pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 39.3% of 28 inherited runners. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the hill 27 times in high leverage situations and also on 22 occasions with base runners. With 20 save situations, the Royals have 10 holds in addition to 4 blown saves. They are ranked 21st in baseball with a save rate of 60.0%, and they have dispatched 76 relief pitchers onto the diamond for the year. Kansas City has had bullpen pitchers step onto the mound in 10 save opportunities and they have earned 6 saves.

In 1,911 innings played, the Royals are sitting with a efficiency on defense of 70.2% (15th in pro baseball). The Kansas City Royals have turned 20 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .987 (12th in MLB). The Royals have 227 assists, 11 errors and have a total of 637 putouts on the campaign.

During his career, Wacha has given up 1,429 base hits and he has 1,310 punch outs in 1,480 frames. Wacha (101-65 career mark) has earned a 3.90 earned run average while surrendering 8.7 hits per nine innings. He has surrendered 641 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.282 and having a FIP of 3.8. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.80 and he has faced 6,241 batters thus far in his career.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Kansas City (+125)

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