The 2022 MLB season continues Wednesday, July 6, with the American League showdown from Minute Maid Park in Houston, so we have prepared the best Royals vs. Astros betting pick along with the latest odds update on BetOnline Sportsbook. 

Kansas City and Houston continue their four-game series in Texas with Game 3, and the Astros are listed as heavy -250 moneyline favorites with a total of 8.5 runs. Houston outlasted KC 7-6 in Monday’s opener, while the second game of this series is not included in the analysis. 

The Royals blew a big lead in Monday’s clash                                         

The Kansas City Royals had a 5-0 lead after the first three innings of Monday’s encounter at Minute Maid Park. They finished with four hits more than their rivals (11-7) but still suffered a painful loss, as the Astros walked it off with a solo home run. 

The Royals fell to 29-49, tallying their sixth loss in the last nine games overall. In the last couple of weeks, their pitching staff has recorded a pedestrian 4.92 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, and .262 opposing batting average. 

Brad Keller will toe the slab Wednesday in Houston. The 26-year-old right-hander is 3-9 with a 4.24 ERA, 4.35 FIP, and 1.33 WHIP in 15 starts (85 innings) in 2022. Keller pitched very well in a 3-1 victory at the lowly Detroit Tigers this past Friday, allowing five hits and a couple of walks across six scoreless innings. 

The Astros have been unstoppable lately            

The Houston Astros extended their winning streak to seven games following Monday’s victory over the Royals. They also improved their record to 52-27 for the season, topping the AL West 13.5 games ahead of their closest rival. 

The Astros have gone 11-2 in their previous 13 contests, posting a shiny 2.30 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and .159 batting average against. They’ve scored 69 runs in that stretch while hitting .252/.335/.491 with a thumping 27 home runs across 432 at-bats. 

Cristian Javier will toe the rubber Wednesday and aim for his fourth win in a row. Over his previous three outings, the 25-year-old righty has allowed just a couple of earned runs on three hits while punching out 32 through 19 frames of work. Javier is now 6-3 with a strong 2.58 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 11 starts and four relief appearances (69.2 innings) in 2022. 

Trends:

Kansas City: 

  • 3-6 in the last nine games overall 
  • 2-8 in Brad Keller’s last ten starts  

Houston:

  • 15-3 in the last 18 games overall 
  • 5-2 in Cristian Javier’s last seven starts 

Kansas City Royals vs. Houston Astros Pick 

I won’t overthink this game given the Astros’ recent form. Their offense is doing a great job, while Houston’s pitching staff has been ridiculously good in the last few weeks. Cristian Javier will have to slow down a bit after punching out 27 over his last two starts and 14 frames of work, but I’m still expecting a solid performance against the Royals, who have a solid .249/.322/.423 triple-slash in the last two weeks of action.  

Also, I don’t trust Brad Keller to string a couple of strong outings. He’s had a lot of ups and downs so far this season and could be in big trouble at Minute Maid Park. 

Pick: Take Houston Astros -1.5 at -125                                     

The Total:

I don’t like to totals in this game. The Royals could be blanked if the Astros continue to pitch at a high level, but Houston’s offense could easily trounce Brad Keller and his relievers. 

Kansas City’s bullpen has recorded a troublesome 5.01 ERA and 4.94 FIP in the last ten days and 32.1 innings of work. On the other side, the Astros ‘pen has registered a 2.31 ERA and 3.67 FIP across 23.1 frames in that span. 

Pick: Go under 8.5 runs at -115