Kansas City Royals (67-85) vs. Houston Astros (76-76) September 17, 2026 7:15 pm EDT The Line: Houston Astros -155 / Kansas City Royals 128; Over/Under: 9 (Get latest betting odds)
In this article we will formulate an Astros vs Royals prediction for this MLB game on Thursday, September 17th at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this MLB matchup.
The Houston Astros are 76-76 this season after they split the first two games by scores of 4-2 and 2-5. In game two, Houston allowed the first five runs in the game, but did score once in the eighth and once in the ninth in the loss. The Astros recorded eight hits and they committed one error in the game, while they were led by Diaz, who went 2-4 with one home run and one RBI. Javier allowed five hits and two earned runs over 5.1 innings for the loss, while De Los Santos allowed two earned runs in relief. Prior to this series, Houston lost all three against the Rays, but did win two out of three against the Phillies before that.
This season, Houston has a 4.53 ERA with a 1.35 WHIP and a .238 opponent batting average, while they have scored 675 runs with a .239 batting average and a .313 on base percentage. Yordan Alvarez has led the Astros with 39 home runs and 98 RBIs, while Christian Walker has added 25 home runs and 80 RBIs. The projected starting pitcher for Houston is Miguel Ullola, who is 0-0 with a 3.38 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP over 8.0 innings pitched this season.
The Kansas City Royals are 67-85 this year after they won game two by a score of 5-2 on Wednesday. Kansas City took the lead in the fourth inning and they added three runs in the eighth to get the win. The Royals recorded eight hits in the game and they were led by Rave, who went 1-4 with one home run and one RBI. Lynch IV allowed two hits and zero earned runs over 5.0 innings, while Gose picked up a hold. Prior to this series, Kansas City lost two out of three against the Red Sox and two out of three against the Diamondbacks.
This season, Kansas City has a 4.61 ERA with a 1.39 WHIP and a .258 opponent batting average, while they have scored 641 runs with a .245 batting average and a .315 on base percentage. Jac Caglianone has led the Royals with 23 home runs and 70 RBIs, while Bobby Witt has added 18 home runs and 54 RBIs. The projected starting pitcher for Kansas City is Seth Lugo, who is 7-8 with a 4.99 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP over 164.0 innings pitched this year.
Kansas City snapped their small losing streak with a win on Wednesday night, but they have scored two runs or fewer in three of their last four games. The Royals are 28-49 on the road this year, while the Astros are 38-39 at home. Houston has lost four of their last five games and they are tied with Texas in the AL West. The Astros are starting Ullola, who will be an opener, while Lugo has allowed 2, 3, and 9 earned runs in his last three outings. Take the Astros to win here.