The Tampa Bay Rays are playing host to the Minnesota Twins at Tropicana Field. Fox Sports North will be televising this AL matchup and the opening pitch will be at 6:10 p.m. ET.
Minnesota Twins at Tampa Bay Rays Odds
Minnesota (+105) is hosting this game as the underdog against Tampa Bay (-115) and Vegas has the Over/Under for this night game at 8 runs (-130 for the under and +110 for the over). You can also bet on the game’s runline with the most recent odds standing at Twins +1.5 runs (-200) and Rays +-1.5 runs (+170).
The Rays are just 6-13 SU and 9-9 ATS. They’ve lost 8.8 units for moneyline bettors and 0.8 units against the spread (ATS). The Twins are 8-6 SU and have gone 10-3 ATS. In total, the team’s accumulated 3.5 units for bettors taking the moneyline over the early portions of the year and 7.2 units ATS.
Tampa Bay games have had an over/under record of 11-7 thus far in 2018. Minnesota has an over/under record of 4-9.
Right-hander Kyle Gibson is the probable starter for Minnesota. Gibson is 1-0 with a 3.68 ERA and 13 strikeouts. He has yet to face the Rays this year and only made one start against them in 2017 (0-0, 3.38 ERA and four strikeouts across five and one-third innings).
The Rays will put the ball in the left hand of Blake Snell (2-1, 2.95 ERA, 1.08 WHIP), who’s got 26 strikeouts and 10 walks. Snell only made one start against the Twins in 2017 (0-0, 13.50 ERA and seven strikeouts across four innings).
As a unit, Tampa Bay’s pitching staff has given up 5.3 runs per game overall in 2018. The team’s starting pitching staff has a 4.71 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings. The bullpen has a 5.10 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 8.5 K/9.
The Tampa Bay offense has put up 3.7 runs per contest, including 4.3 per game over its last 10 games and 5.2 per game over its last five. The team has slashed .288/.364/.424 over its last five games and is 3-2 SU during that span.
Mallex Smith has helped lead the Rays’ offense this season with 20 hits, three RBIs and seven runs scored. Smith enjoyed batting against righty pitching at home last season, slashing .305/.393/.429 in 122 such plate appearances (his total season line was .270/.329/.355).
In the visiting dugout, Minnesota’s pitchers have allowed 3.7 runs per game and its starters own a 3.32 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 9.15 K/9. The bullpen has managed an ERA of 3.27, along with a WHIP of 1.23.
Twins hitters have slashed .230/.307/.398 on their way to 4.4 runs scored per game in 2018, including 4.2 runs per game over the team’s last 10 games and 4.6 per game over the team’s last five outings (3-2 SU).
Minnesota’s hitters have been spearheaded by Max Kepler. Kepler is slashing .289/.396/.622 with 13 hits, six RBIs and six runs scored. He did not seem to enjoy hitting against lefties on the road last season, putting up a slash line of .136/.212/.254 across 66 such plate appearances (compared to his total season line of .243/.312/.425).
The Rays just snuck away with the previous game in the series by a score of eight runs to seven.
Minnesota Twins vs. Tampa Bay Rays MLB Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Rays, ATS Winner – Twins, O/U – OVER
Notes
Betting Notes
The under has hit in five of Minnesota’s last seven games.
The Twins have hit 10 home runs in their last 10 games, including six over their last five.
The Minnesota defense has allowed five errors over its last five games, compared to two errors for Tampa Bay over its last five.
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