The Minnesota Twins will square off against their divisional rival Kansas City Royals at Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium. Fox Sports Kansas City will televise the matchup. The game is slated to get going at 2:15 p.m. ET.
Minnesota Twins vs. Kansas City Royals Odds
Vegas has placed equal moneyline odds (-105) on both of these teams. The total sits at 8.5 runs and gamblers can take the over for -120 and the under for even money (+100). Runline odds stand at +140 for taking the Twins -1.5 runs and -160 for the Royals +1.5.
The Twins have gone 67-81 SU this year and are 74-73 against the spread (ATS). They’ve lost 14.1 units for moneyline bettors and 3.3 units ATS. The Royals, on the other hand, are 52-96 SU and 72-75 ATS. They’ve lost 24.7 units for moneyline bettors and 12.1 units ATS.
Royals games have had an over/under record of 63-73-11 in 2018. Minnesota has an over/under record of 72-72-3.
Kyle Gibson is getting the start for the visiting Twins. The right-handed Gibson is 7-13 with a 3.67 ERA and 163 strikeouts. He’s 0-1 with 13 strikeouts and a 2.92 ERA against Kansas City this year (two starts).
The Royals will turn to righty Jakob Junis (8-12, 4.28 ERA) to the mound. Junis has 150 strikeouts and 40 walks to his name, as well as a 1.23 WHIP. Junis is 0-1 with 13 strikeouts and a 3.60 ERA over two starts against Minnesota this year.
Minnesota’s pitching staff allowed 4.9 runs per game and its starting pitchers own a 4.59 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 8.25 K/9. The bullpen has logged an ERA of 4.76, along with a WHIP of 1.40 and a K-per-9 of 9.03.
The Twins offense has slashed .245/.315/.400 on its way to 4.4 runs scored per game this year, including 4.3 runs per game against divisional foes and 4.8 per game over the team’s last five contests (2-3 SU).
Outfielder Eddie Rosario and first baseman Joe Mauer continue to lead Minnesota’s hitters. Rosario is slashing .286/.322/.475 with 23 home runs, 76 RBIs and 85 runs scored, while Mauer (.275/.346/.378) has produced six homers, 44 RBIs and 52 runs scored.
In the home-team dugout, Kansas City’s pitchers have allowed 5.2 runs per game overall this year. The team’s starting pitching staff has a 4.98 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 7.3 strikeouts per nine innings. The bullpen has a 5.06 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 7.3 K/9. In 67 games against AL Central opponents, Royals starters have an ERA of 4.79 and the bullpen’s ERA is 5.00.
The Kansas City offense has put up 3.9 runs per contest, including 4.4 per game against divisional foes and 6.4 per game over its last five. The team has hit .297/.386/.477 over its last five games and is 4-1 SU during that span.
The Royals’ hitters have been led by second baseman Whit Merrifield and outfielder Alex Gordon. Merrifield is slashing .303/.368/.438 with 12 home runs, 56 RBIs, 81 runs and 36 steals, while Gordon’s line sits at .242/.326/.362 with 11 homers, 47 RBIs and 51 runs.
The Twins have lost 6.0 units and are 54-51 ATS when facing a righty starter this season. The over has cashed in 53 of those games, compared to 50 that’ve gone under against right-handed starting pitchers. On the other hand, the Royals have lost 19.3 units and are 48-54 ATS when facing a righty starter. The over has hit in 47 of those games, compared to 47 that went under.
Minnesota Twins at Kansas City Royals Free Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Royals, ATS Winner – Royals, O/U – UNDER
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Notes
Betting Trends
The under has hit in three of Minnesota’s last seven games.
The Royals have won five of their last six games SU.
Minnesota has posted 21.5 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 outings and 25.2 over its last five.
The Twins have hit five home runs in their last 10 games. The Royals have hit eight over their last 10.
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