Kansas City Royals at Houston Astros, MLB forecast
Win probability
Starts from the pregame forecast, then moves with the score and the time left after each inning. Above the line favors HOU.
Game center
From the ESPN box score.
Top performers
Royals- Vinnie PasquantinoBatting1-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI
- Michael WachaPitching6.0 IP, 4 ER, 2 K
Astros- Jeremy PenaBatting3-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI
- Hunter BrownPitching5.0 IP, 1 ER, 10 K
Scoring summary
- 6Pasquantino homered to right center (376 feet).2–4
- 5Alvarez homered to right (376 feet), Peña scored.1–4
- 5Jensen doubled to left, Collins scored.1–2
- 3Peña homered to left (370 feet).0–2
- 1Peña homered to left center (440 feet).0–1
The pick
Reconstructed from what was known before the game: the ratings at that point and the closing line.
Astros 60%
Forecast Elo ratings alone
How often that comes true: MLB favorites the forecast gave 55–60% have won 55.5% of 2,596 graded games.
- Market
- HOU 60%
- ML KC +136 / HOU -165
- Pre-line forecast
- HOU 58%
- Elo + market-implied
- Elo ratings
- HOU 54%
- Ratings vs. market
- −6.0 pts
- HOU: Elo 53.5%, market 59.5%
- Fair odds
- HOU -147
- KC +147 · the forecast as odds, no margin
- Pregame projection
- KC 3.6 – 4.4 HOU
- Margin from the forecast, posted total 8
How the number is built
Elo inputs in rating points (higher favors that team; 25–28 Elo is about a point of spread in football and basketball), then how the pieces combine.
| Factor | KC | HOU | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team rating | 1479 | 1495 | Elo entering the game; 1500 is league average |
| Home field | — | +18 | Worth 18 Elo in MLB |
| Starting pitchers | +14 | +4 | KC: Michael Wacha: team allows 0.70 fewer runs than with its usual starter (≈10 weighted starts) · HOU: Hunter Brown: team allows 0.19 fewer runs than with its usual starter (≈10 weighted starts) |
| Elo ratings | HOU +24 Elo | HOU 53.5% | |
| Market-implied ratings | HOU 58.6% | Team strength as past closing lines priced it, same game context | |
| Pre-line forecast | HOU 57.9% | 15% Elo, 85% market-implied (log-odds blend) | |
| Forecast | HOU 59.5% | Follows the market (vig removed): in testing, adding the ratings made it less accurate | |
Tale of the tape
This season coming into the game, regular season, each number with its league rank (the longer the bar, the higher). Home and road: the host's record at home against the visitor's on the road. Opponent Elo: how strong the teams each has played are, 1st the toughest.
| KC | Stat | HOU |
|---|---|---|
| 24th of 304.2 | Runs scored | 4.516th of 30 |
| 25th of 304.9 | Runs allowed | 4.824th of 30 |
| 27th of 30−0.6 | Margin | −0.422nd of 30 |
| 17th of 304–6 | Last 10 | 4–617th of 30 |
| 27th of 3027–48 | Road vs home | 37–3820th of 30 |
| 22nd of 301498 | Opponent Elo | 149230th of 30 |
| 23rd of 301479 | Elo rating | 149516th of 30 |
Rating history
Each team's Elo over the last two seasons. Hover or drag to compare on any date.
Recent form
Last five results, and whether the forecast hit.
Against the line
How each team has done against the closing spread and total, coming into this game.
| This season |  KC |  HOU |
|---|---|---|
| Run line | 78–72 | 77–73 |
| Last 10 | 4–6 | 5–5 |
| Favorite | 22–33 | 28–41 |
| Underdog | 56–39 | 49–32 |
| Overs–unders | 66–78–6 | 74–67–9 |
| Overs–unders, last 10 | 2–8 | 3–7 |
Against each game's closing line. Books set every line knowing these records: across 3,901 past games, the team with the better record against the spread so far that season covered 51.2%, short of the 52.4% a standard −110 bet needs, and over/under streaks held 48.0% of the time. They describe the past.
Head to head
KC 12–10 HOU in their last 22 meetings; the forecast called 9 of 22.