After a bit of a power outage against the Boston Red Sox, the Kansas City Royals opened their series with the Houston Astros with a bang.
Kansas City outslugged Houston 7-5, with Bobby Witt Jr. being the catalyst. Shocking, I know.
My Royals vs. Astros predictions for Tuesday, May 13 are backing the All-Star shortstop to keep doing his thing with a player prop as today’s best bet.
That and more MLB picks for this American League battle with first pitch from Daikin Park set for 8:10 p.m. ET.
Royals vs Astros prediction
My Royals vs Astros best bet: Bobby Witt Jr. Over 0.5 RBI (+160 at DraftKings)
What more can be said about Bobby Witt Jr. that hasn’t been said already? Well, I’m saying it anyways.
Witt’s ascension to superstardom has fueled the Kansas City Royals back to relevancy in the American League. K.C. made the postseason and 2024 and is 25-18 to start this season.
And while Aaron Judge is the frontrunner in the AL MVP odds, Witt is certainly making a strong case for himself.
Witt enters tonight’s matchup with the Houston Astros batting .319 with a .910 OPS, five home runs, 25 RBI, and 14 stolen bases.
Yes, he does it all. Witt has just six games all season in which he doesn’t have a hit.
Tonight, he’ll dig into the batter’s box against Houston starter Framber Valdez. The Astros’ veteran left-hander has had success against Witt in the past, but Valdez doesn’t look like the pitcher he used to be.
Valdez has made eight starts this season and owns a 4.43 expected ERA while surrendering a .274 expected batting average to opponents.
What made Valdez effective in years past was mixing his sinker, curveball, and changeup well to keep hitters off balance and create soft contact. This season, he ranks in the 15th percentile in average exit velocity and the 25th percentile in hard-hit rate.
Suffice to say, I think Witt will have some success at the plate tonight. But instead of going for total bases or hit, runs, and RBI, let’s just take a look at his RBI market.
Witt hits in the two-hole in the Kansas City lineup behind Jonathan India, and he’s been doing a much better job of getting on base ahead of Witt lately. India is hitting .316 with a .366 OBP over his last nine games.
And while he has just four career plate appearances vs. Valdez, India owns a .988 xSLG in this matchup. This means I love the value for Witt to drive in a run tonight at +165.
Royals vs Astros same-game parlay (SGP)
Bobby Witt Jr. 1+ RBI
Jonathan India 1+ hits
Kris Bubic Under 17.5 outs recorded
Well, we might as well piggyback on the RBI play and take India to get another knock tonight.
As noted, India is in a groove at the plate right now, has hit the ball hard off Valdez in the past, and is coming off a game last night where he collected three hits, drove in two, and scored one himself. He’s got hits in 11 of his last 14 games overall.
Let’s round this same-game parlay out with Royals starter Kris Bubic to go Under 17.5 outs recorded tonight.
Bubic has a great ERA of 1.69 but he’s also been the beneficiary of a pretty soft schedule to this point. He’s stayed below this number in three of his last five starts. The two he went Over were against the Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies.
Houston has a much better lineup and ranks a respectable 14th in OPS and 13th in wRC+ vs. left-handed pitching this season.
Royals vs Astros odds
Royals vs Astros live odds
Royals vs Astros opening odds
- Moneyline: Kansas City +115 | Houston -135
- Run line: Kansas City +1.5 (-180) | Houston -1.5 (+150)
- Over/Under: Over 7.5 | Under 7.5
Royals vs Astros trend
The Royals have hit the Moneyline in 17 of their last 21 games for +14.95 Units and a 48% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Royals vs. Astros.
How to watch Royals vs Astros and game info
| Location | Daikin Park, Houston, TX |
| Date | Tuesday, 5-13-2025 |
| First pitch | 8:10 p.m. ET |
| TV | FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City, Space City Home Network |
| Royals starting pitcher | Kris Bubic (4-2, 1.69 ERA) |
| Astros starting pitcher | Framber Valdez (2-4, 3.94 ERA) |
Royals vs Astros latest injuries
Royals vs Astros weather
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