Royals vs Astros Odds, Picks, and Probable Pitchers (August 25)

• The Royals and Astros face off in the series finale at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday afternoon
• Houston is a heavy -235 favorite with Lance McCullers on the mound
• See the odds, analysis, and betting prediction, below

It’s a battle between two teams on the opposite sides of the spectrum when the Kansas City Royals visit the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. KC has gotten the better of the AL-West leading Astros this season, winning four out of six meetings. The first pitch on Wednesday is scheduled for 2:10 PM EST.

The Royals will hand lefty Mike Minor the ball, while Lance McCullers makes the start for Houston.

Royals vs Astros Odds

Odds as of August 24th at DraftKings.

Probable Pitchers

Kansas City’s pitching has been nothing to write home about in 2021, with Minor enduring lots of his own struggles. The southpaw is having one of the worst seasons of his career statistically, going 8-11 with a dismal 5.34 ERA in 25 starts. He’s striking out 8.8 hitters per nine innings which is respectable, with his command also showing promise, allowing only 40 walks in 141.2 innings. But opposing lineups have just simply been feasting off his stuff, mashing 23 homers against Minor.

Mike Minor on his no-decision outing: "I couldn't finish them. I got everybody two strikes and then every ball they hit, was where we weren't playing. And next thing I knew I was getting taken out of the game."#Royals pic.twitter.com/30gtEmfS8q

— Bally Sports Kansas City (@BallySportsKC) August 19, 2021

Minor has surrendered 14 earned runs and six bombs across his last four outings. Coincidentally enough, the veteran’s last appearance was against the Astros, lasting 5.1 frames and allowing three runs. In fact, he’s very familiar with Houston but has been hit around, compiling a 4.83 ERA in 17 outings.

Minor vs McCullers

McCullers has been absolutely dealing this season, going 10-4 with a 3.21 ERA. The hard-throwing righty has racked up 144 K’s in just 120.2 innings of work and has struck out at least eight hitters in five of his last six starts. Last time out, McCullers got lots of run support in a 12-3 win over Seattle, allowing just two earned across six frames. The 27-year-old’s slider has been his most effective offering in 2021 by far, with opposing lineups hitting a mere .139 off it. Also, almost half of his strikeouts have come from the nasty mid 80’s pitch.

Lance McCullers, 96mph Paint. 🖌️🎨 pic.twitter.com/RnNvXlmxNx

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 21, 2021

McCullers hasn’t faced the Royals yet this season, but he has posted a 2.73 ERA against them in five career appearances. While there’s only a handful of at-bats off him in the current KC lineup, the likes of Andrew Benintendi, Salvador Perez, and Carlos Santana have enjoyed success vs. McCullers. He also pitches slightly worse at home, boasting a 3.65 ERA.

Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers

Kansas City is way out of contention in the Wild Card, but they’ve been hot lately. Before Tuesday’s game, the Royals won four straight and have gone 7-3 in their last 10. KC rolled into Wrigley and swept the Chicago Cubs over the weekend behind some solid pitching and timely hitting.

#Royals starting pitching has recorded 49.1 innings over the last 8 games; they have combined to post a collective 2.74 ERA (15 ER) over that span, posting a 5-0 record while the team has gone 7-1.#TogetherRoyal pic.twitter.com/n0YU8gLtZZ

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) August 24, 2021

Whit Merrifield has been tearing the cover off the ball and set the tone nicely at the top of the lineup, collecting six hits in the series.  Although their arms have a poor 4.77 team ERA this season, they’re throwing the baseball a lot better in the last week.

The Astros still hold a four-game lead in the American League West over the Oakland Athletics, but Dusty Baker’s squad has been sliding. They’ve posted a 4-6 record in their last 10 games prior to Tuesday.

Let's get the paw-ty started. 🐾#ForTheH pic.twitter.com/iSgeFmuXqd

— Houston Astros (@astros) August 22, 2021

On a more positive note though, Houston scored a total of 30 runs across a three-game set with the Mariners on the weekend, showing just how potent this offense can be when clicking. The Stros did drop the series finale, though.

Royals vs Astros Prediction

The Royals are 25-29 in day games, while Houston is just 21-21. However, Minor is a huge wild card because of his inconsistencies, while McCullers is reliable. He also has a 3.33 ERA in afternoon contests and Minor doesn’t fare much better either on the road or during the day.

With that being said, the Astros should have no problem scoring runs and covering the runline.

Pick: Houston Astros -1.5 (-120)