The Houston Astros (4-7) and Kansas City Royals (6-4) will battle it out in a fierce three-game series starting on Tuesday, April 9 at 7:40 PM ET at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City . The Astros are slight favorites with a moneyline at -125 and have a good argument to make.

The Astros split their recent four-game series with the Texas Rangers. They won their last two games of that series, with the outcome being 10-5. The Rangers came out strong with five runs to start the game but never scored again.

They have Yordan Alvarez on their side which is great for their chances at success. He currently leads them with four home runs and nine RBI’s. In addition, Jose Altuve leads them with a betting average at .342.

One reason they are slightly favored here is that Cristian Javier (1-0) has not established an ERA yet, but has a WHIP at 1.00. His ability to dominate on the mound will be key to watch especially for the first few innings.

The Astros have a batting average at .259 and have a slight margin of safety since they allow their opponents to average .242 at the plate. As long as their offense stays ahead, they should have no problems.

The Royals have been successful in their last four games and swept the Chicago White Sox in all four of their battles. Their most recent win was a 5-3 showing and marked their second win scoring five goals of more.

Bobby Witt Jr. is crucial to their chances at success here. He is leading them with a batting average at .350. Plus, he is averaging .409 for his on base percentage and has a .675 percent for his slugging output. 

They will have Cole Ragans on the mound, who is currently 0-1 with an ERA at 1.46 and a WHIP of 0.86. He has 12.1 innings under his belt, which shows he has been consistent at this rate.

The Royals have been averaging .245 at the plate and are giving up .208 from their opponents. While this spread is solid, they should still aim to separate themselves. They are also getting a .303 on base percentage and a .432 slugging percentage that could work in their favor.

The odds for this MLB showcase has the Houston Astros as favorites. Looking into market analysis, the Astros have a 44.6 percent cha car at winning game one.

Both teams pair up well on paper so far in the start of this season. However, look for the Astros to have a positive impact from their staying pitcher to give them a shot at winning.