The Minnesota Twins will head south to play their divisional rival Kansas City Royals at Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET and Fox Sports Kansas City will broadcast the matchup.
Minnesota Twins at Kansas City Royals Odds
Kansas City (-110) is favored over Minnesota (+100) and Vegas has put the Over/Under for this game at nine runs. The odds for wagering on the game’s total sit at -120 for the over and +100 for the under. The game’s most recent runline odds stand at -210 for betting the Twins +1.5 runs and +175 for the Royals -1.5.
The Royals are just 18-35 SU and 24-28 ATS. The team’s lost 12.8 units for bettors taking the moneyline and 8.7 units against the spread (ATS). Kansas City has covered the spread four times in its last seven games and the total has gone under in four of those seven. The Twins, on the other hand, are 21-27 SU and have gone 28-19 ATS. Overall, the team’s lost 5.8 units for bettors taking the moneyline, but have gained 7.0 units ATS. Minnesotahas covered the spread five times in its last seven games and the total has gone under in six of those seven.
Kansas City games have a 20-29-3 over/under record thus far in 2018. The Twins have an over/under record of 22-24-1.
Right-hander Lance Lynn will get the start for the visiting Twins. Lynn is 2-4 with a 6.34 ERA and 45 strikeouts. He has yet to face the Royals this year and only made one start against them in 2017 (0-0, 3.00 ERA and three strikeouts over six innings).
The Royals will turn to righty Jakob Junis (5-3, 3.52 ERA) to the mound. Junis has 55 strikeouts and 13 walks to his name, as well as a 1.09 WHIP. Junis made two starts against the Twins in 2017, putting together a 0-0 record with a 3.27 ERA and 11 strikeouts.
Minnesota’s pitching staff allowed 4.4 runs per game and its starters own a 4.03 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 8.94 K/9. The bullpen has an ERA of 4.48, along with a WHIP of 1.30 and a K/9 of 9.28.
The Twins offense has slashed .236/.309/.389 on its way to 4.0 runs scored per game in 2018, including 4.2 runs per game against divisional foes and 2.4 per game over the team’s last five outings (1-4 SU).
Left fielder Eddie Rosario and shortstop Eduardo Escobar have led Minnesota’s hitters. Rosario is hitting .298/.320/.527 with nine home runs, 29 RBIs and 30 runs scored, while Escobar has a .270 average with seven homers, 23 RBIs and 25 runs scored.
Rosario seemed to take a step back when hitting righties on the road last year. Over 195 such plate appearances, he maintained a slash line of .235/.282/.380 (compared to his total season line of .290/.328/.507).
For the home team, Kansas City’s pitchers have given up 5.5 runs per game overall in 2018. The club’s starting pitching staff has an ERA of 5.35, a WHIP of 1.43 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 7.4. The bullpen has a 5.19 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 6.8 K/9. In 23 games against AL Central opponents, Royals starters have an ERA of 5.32 and the bullpen’s ERA is 4.65.
The Kansas City offense has put up 4.0 runs per contest, including 3.7 per game against divisional foes and 5.0 per game over its last five. The team has a slash-line of .247/.306/.371 over its last five matchups and is 3-2 SU during that span.
The Royals’ batters have been led by left fielder Jon Jay and second baseman Whit Merrifield. Jay is hitting .293/.351/.337 with 60 hits, 14 RBIs and 22 runs scored, and Merrifield’s line is .289/.362/.423 with four homers, 21 RBIs, 26 runs and 12 steals.
The Twins have lost 5.3 units and are 19-15 ATS when facing a righty starter this season. The over has hit in 17 of those games, compared to 16 that’ve gone under in such games. On the other hand, the Royals have lost 14.5 units and are 13-20 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher. The over has hit in 12 of those games, as opposed to 18 which went under the total.
Minnesota Twins vs. Kansas City Royals Free Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Royals, ATS Winner – Twins, O/U – OVER
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Notes
Betting Trends
Kansas City has posted 19.3 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 outings and 22.6 over its last five.
The Twins have hit four home runs in their last 10 games. The Royals have hit eight over their last 10.
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