Road teams have been tearing it up in the MLB playoffs of late, starting off the first two days of the postseason at a perfect 4-0. The Houston Astros have been a big part of that, and they are trying to once again continue their magical run in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Kansas City Royals.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Royals were deserving favorites in Game 1, and now that they have what is perceived to be their best pitcher on the mound in Johnny Cueto in Game 2, they are once again favored.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Cueto hasn't been good since being traded to the Royals, but he can make up for it with a win in this game. The righty is just 4-7 with a 4.76 ERA and a ridiculously high 1.45 WHIP since the deal. He did toss five solid innings against Minnesota at the end of the year to get a victory, but clearly, he has some proving to do in this one.
Scott Kazmir was a trade deadline acquisition as well for the Astros, and the fact of the matter is that he hasn't been anything special either. He's just 2-6 with a 4.17 ERA since the move and is 7-11 for the season. However, this is a man who has pitched in the postseason and the World Series before, rare experience on a Houston side which otherwise is one of the youngest teams to ever play in the playoffs.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"You just got to go out and slow this game down, have some fun, and just do your job. Enjoy this whole stage and have some fun." – Astros outfielder George Springer on the start of this postseason with two road victories
SITUATIONAL BETTING
The Houston bullpen has thrown six straight zeroes up on the board in the playoffs, but we are a little concerned about Luke Gregorson and Tony Sipp pitching for the third time in four days if they are called upon in this game.
These men threw big time innings and aren't used to being in these pressure situations. If there is a team which can figure out how to hit in the clutch, it should be these Royals.
PROP TALK
The Astros struck out 14 times in Game 1 of this series, which is going to leave tons of opportunities for Cueto to log K's. His K/9 was only 6.20 with the Royals, but he also had a K/9 of 8.27 earlier in the year with the Reds.
There's potential here for sure, and with as well as he has a history of pitching, Cueto's strikeout total could end up well past what the oddsmakers set it at.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The other theme of the postseason thus far has been low-scoring games, but we think this is going to be a much different situation on Friday night. Neither one of these starting pitchers really impresses us, and both of these teams can light up the scoreboard with the long ball.
Sure, there are going to be a lot of zeroes put on the board in the end, but we still suspect there will be at least one crooked inning on each side to push this game past the total.
Kansas City 6, Houston 4
The MLB lines for this Friday contest were first released by BookMaker Sportsbook. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time moneylines, player props and inning totals. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker's live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker today! Game 2 of the ALDS pitting the Houston Astros versus the Kansas City Royals will commence at 3:30 p.m. ET on Friday, October 10, 2015 at Kauffman Stadium. The matchup will be televised live on FOX Sports 1.
