The visiting Astros hope for a solid performance on Friday as they look to steal a win at Kauffman Stadium against the Kansas City Royals.

The Royals will rely on James Shields to turn in a quality outing on the mound in this one, while Jordan Lyles will be his counterpart for the Astros. James Shields is 2-6 this season, and Jordan Lyles is 3-1.



View Houston vs Kansas City Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Those going with the Royals in this one found them listed as moneyline favorites of -215 at Sportsbook for Monday's contest. The total was hovering near 7.5 at Sportsbook.

Power Rankings:
This game matches up the No. 5 (Royals) and the No. 14 (Astros) teams in their respective leagues, according to our current MLB Power Rankings.



How They Match Up:
On offense, it's a battle between Kansas City and its American League No. 13-rated batting order, averaging 3.9 runs per nine innings, against the American League's No. 12 lineup of the Astros at 4 runs per outing.

Comparing defensive stats, Houston owns the American League's No. 12-rated road mark, allowing 4.6 runs per game on the highway. Kansas City, on the other hand, rates No. 14 in scoring at home.

Last time out for Houston, they were a 3-1 loser as they battled the Orioles at home. Moneyline bettors who got the Orioles at -155 were rewarded, while the 4 combined runs moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. The Astros were saddled with a loss last time out in Bud Norris' start, as they lost 3-1 against Baltimore on Thursday at Minute Maid Park.

Kansas City won its last outing, a 7-3 result against the Twins on June 6. Bettors who backed the Royals at -143 on the moneyline won on the day, and the total score (10) sent OVER bettors to the payout window. Kansas City got the job done in their last match in a 7-3 victory over Minnesota on Thursday at Kauffman Stadium behind starter Wade Davis.


Houston Astros Trends:
When playing on Friday are 4-6
Before playing Kansas City are 3-7
After playing Baltimore are 5-5
After a loss are 7-3

Kansas City Royals Trends:
When playing on Friday are 5-5
Before playing Houston are 6-4
After playing Minnesota are 6-4
After a win are 3-7

A few Astros at Royals trends to consider:
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Houston is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
Houston is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kansas City's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kansas City's last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas City's last 6 games when playing at home against Houston
Kansas City is 5-15 SU in its last 20 games


Next up:
Houston at Kansas City, Saturday, June 8