With Michael Kopech on the mound against the Houston Astros, MLB bettors might be in for an unexpected ride. The once thrilling clash between the Astros and the Chicago White Sox now holds a different tenor. The home underdog is at +129, and the total in this game checks in at a nine.

Kopech, the White Sox’s right-handed pitcher, has been struggling in the past month, sporting a 5.66 xFIP over the last 30 days. Right-handed batters have been taking him to task with a .400 weighted on-base percentage and an ISO close to .300. This seems to be a red flag for bettors eyeing the White Sox, but an interesting contradiction arises when we scrutinize the current Astros lineup.

The Astros, once one of the most powerful lineups in Major League Baseball, are in a slump. Only two batters in their lineup exhibit above-average weighted on-base percentages against right-handed pitching. This is a startling decline for a team that had an impressive reputation for hitting.

Despite this game being on the road for the Astros, against the White Sox, the conditions are not favorable. It’s rare that a lineup doesn’t capitalize on a struggling pitcher like Kopech, but the Astros’ bats just haven’t woken up yet.

However, this game presents a perplexing situation for bettors. Who do you trust more? The Houston bats to come alive against Kopech, or the Sox starter to pull it together against the underperforming Houston lineup? This puzzling scenario might lead some bettors to take a step back from this game.

Unfortunately, we won’t be seeing the electric lineup we’ve come to expect from Houston in this matchup against Michael Kopech. Yet, the unpredictability could also provide a unique betting opportunity for those willing to take the risk.