A series opener between the Kansas City Royals (75-59) and the Houston Astros (71-62) is scheduled for Thursday at 8:10 p.m. ET at Minute Maid Park.

The Royals are underdogs (+129) away from the Astros (-154). The starting pitchers are Hunter Brown (11-7) for the Houston Astros and Brady Singer (9-9) for the Kansas City Royals.

The Astros won their last game yesterday, 10-0, against the Phillies. Spencer Arrighetti was named the winning pitcher after throwing 7 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run on two hits and recording 11 strikeouts, while Yordan Alvarez batted 4-for-4 with three home runs and four RBIs to lead them in offense.

The Royals lost to the Guardians 7-5 yesterday. Vinnie Pasquantino led the offense with 4 for 5, a home run and an RBI, and Lucas Erceg lost after pitching one inning, allowing one earned run on three hits and recording one strikeout.

Here’s what you need to prepare for Thursday’s Astros vs. Royals game, including viewing options.

Houston Astros vs. Kansas City Royals odds and betting lines

MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM Sports Betting. Odds updated Wednesday at 9:17 p.m. ET. For a complete list of sports betting odds, visit the USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.

  • Favorite: Astros (-154, bet $154 to win $100)
  • Outsider: Royals (+129, bet $100 to win $129)
  • Over/Under: 8.5

Astros vs. Royals: Live streaming information and game time

  • Matchday: Thursday, August 29, 2024
  • Playing time: 8:10 p.m. ET
  • Stadium: Minute Maid Park
  • TV channels: Bally Sports
  • Live stream: Fubo (watch for free)

Astros Stats and Trends

Astros betting records

  • The Astros were favorites in 95 games this season and won 53 (55.8%) of those games.
  • Houston has started 40 games this season with a lead of -154 or more and has a 27-13 record in those matchups.
  • The moneyline for this contest implies a 60.6 percent chance of victory for the Astros.
  • Houston and its opponents have exceeded the total on 52 of 133 occasions this season.
  • The Astros have a 65-67-0 ATS record in 132 games with the spread this season.

Hunter Brown (likely Astros starter)

  • Brown (11-7 with a 3.72 ERA and 151 strikeouts in 140 1/3 innings pitched) starts for the Astros, his 26th of the season.
  • The right-hander played his last game on Friday against the Baltimore Orioles, when he threw six innings, allowed one earned run and allowed three hits.
  • The 26-year-old has posted a 3.72 ERA with 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings in 26 games this season. Opponents have a .250 batting average against him.
  • Brown is aiming for his third consecutive quality start.
  • Brown is seeking his 20th consecutive appearance of five or more innings, averaging 5.4 frames per appearance on the mound.
  • In six of his appearances this season, he did not allow a single earned run.
  • He will face a Royals team that as a unit has a batting average of .258 (fifth in MLB), a collective slugging average of .425 (seventh in MLB) and has hit 153 total home runs (12th in MLB).
  • Brown has a 121.5 ERA and 18 WHIP in two-thirds of an inning pitched against the Royals this season, allowing for a .846 batting average in a single appearance.
  • The 26-year-old ranks 33rd in ERA (3.72), 55th in WHIP (1.318) and 17th in K/9 (9.7) among qualified pitchers in MLB play this season.

Astros batting statistics

  • The Astros are ranked tenth in Major League Baseball with 160 home runs.
  • Houston’s batters have a total slugging percentage of .419 this season, ranking 10th in the MLB.
  • The Astros have a team batting average of .261 this season, ranking second among MLB teams.
  • Houston has scored the 13th most runs in the Major League this season with 607 runs (4.6 per game).
  • When it comes to getting on base, the Astros are among the best in the league, ranking ninth with an OBP of .321.
  • Houston is one of the most disciplined teams at bat this season, ranking third with an average of 7.2 strikeouts per game.

Royals Stats and Trends

Royals betting records

  • The Royals were underdogs in 66 games this year and won 31 of those games (47%).
  • Kansas City has a win-loss record of 7-12 this year when favored by the bookies at +129 or worse.
  • The moneyline set for this clash implies that the Royals have a 43.7 percent chance of emerging victorious from the contest.
  • Kansas City and its opponents have won 62 of their 134 games this season, with the total score set by the bookmakers.
  • The Royals have a record against the spread of 74-60-0 in 134 games with a line this season.

Brady Singer (likely starter for the Royals)

  • The Royals send Singer (9-9) out for his 27th start of the season looking for his 10th win. He has a 9-9 record, a 3.37 ERA and 141 strikeouts in 146 2/3 innings pitched.
  • The right-hander’s last appearance came on Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies, when he threw five innings, allowed five earned runs and allowed eleven hits.
  • The 28-year-old has a 3.37 ERA and 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings in 26 games this season. Opponents have a .254 batting average against him.
  • Singer goes into the duel with eleven good starts this season.
  • Singer will attempt to pitch five or more innings in his eighth consecutive appearance. He is averaging 5.6 frames per appearance.
  • In four of his 26 appearances this season, he has not allowed a single earned run.
  • The Astros’ opposing offense has a collective batting average of .261 and ranks second in the league with 1,192 hits and 13th in MLB with 607 runs scored. They have the 10th slugging percentage (.419) and rank 10th in all of MLB with 160 home runs.
  • In direct comparison with the Astros this season, Singer has pitched five innings, allowing one earned run on five hits and recording four strikeouts.
  • The 28-year-old ranks 20th with a 3.37 ERA, 48th with a 1.248 WHIP and 25th with an 8.7 K/9 among qualified pitchers this season.

Royals batting statistics

  • The Royals rank 12th in the MLB with 153 home runs. They average 1.1 per game.
  • This season, Kansas City ranks seventh in the Major Leagues with a slugging percentage of .425.
  • The Royals have the fifth-best batting average in the Major Leagues (.258).
  • Kansas City scores the fourth most runs in baseball (654 total, 4.9 per game).
  • With an on-base percentage of .314, the Royals rank 13th in the Major Leagues.

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