Kansas City Royals vs. Houston Astros: Odds, Line, Picks, (N)RFI, and Predictions July 7, 2022 | 2022 MLB Season

The Kansas City Royals and Houston Astros play the second game of their four-game series this afternoon.

The Royals took one off the Astros last night after Cristian Javier turned in a dismal five-inning performance. Kansas City lit him up for five runs on four hits. Their 7-4 victory was led by Andrew Benintendi, who recorded an RBI along with three runs.

"The birthday boy has reached base four times tonight and gives us a little breathing room in the 9th!" - Royals

Pitching in this game are Kris Bubic for the Royals and Justin Verlander for the Astros.

Bubic is having a rough go of it this year. Bubic has a record of 1-5 with an ERA of 7.06. However, his starts have not been nearly as bad as those stats indicate. He averages three earned runs a start, but he is only going four or five innings deep.

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Kansas City Royals vs. Houston Astros Match Details

Fixture: Kansas City Royals @ Houston Astros

Date & Time: Thursday, July 7, 2:10 p.m. EDT

Venue: Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX

"Union Station in Houston, then and now." - MLB Cathedrals

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Kansas City Royals vs. Houston Astros Betting Odds

	Spread	Moneyline	Over/Under	Run in the 1st?
Royals	+1.5 (+134)	+300	Over 8 (-115)	Yes (-115)
Astros	-1.5 (-162)	-375	Under 8 (-105)	No (-111)

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Kansas City Royals vs. Houston Astros Best Picks

Justin Verlander ages like fine wine. At 39 years old, he's having one of the best years of his career. Halfway through the season, he has a 2.03 ERA and a record of 10-3. Bettors should take every chance they get to bet on Verlander.

Justin Verlander to Record the Win (-140)

Verlander is third in the majors with a 0.83 WHIP.

Verlander isn't allowing a run in the first inning, but the same cannot be said for Bubic. A run has been scored in the first inning in his last three starts. Looking at the line in this one, bettors should expect runs early in this one.

A Run to be Scored in the First Inning (-115)

Kansas City Royals vs. Houston Astros Prediction

The Royals are competing with the Oakland A's for worst team in the American League. The Astros hold a hefty lead in the AL West. A four-game set with the Royals gives them a chance to increase the chasm between them and the second-place Seattle Mariners. After dropping the first game, bettors should expect wins with large deficits from Houston the rest of the series.

Houston -2.5 (-102)