The Detroit Tigers are making a road trip to Minneapolis to face their AL Central foe Twins at Target Field. The game gets underway 8:10 p.m. ET and Fox Sports North will showcase the matchup.
Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins Odds
Oddsmakers are listing Detroit (+190) as the underdog to Minnesota (-210). Bettors can wager on the game’s total with odds sitting at -120 for over nine runs and +100 for under nine. Bettors can also wager on the game’s runline with the most recent odds standing at -115 for the Tigers +1.5 runs and -105 for the Twins -1.5.
The Tigers are 20-26 SU and have gone 26-19 against the spread (ATS). They’ve accumulated 1.2 units for moneyline bettors in the season’s early going and 3.6 units ATS. Detroit has covered the spread five times in its last seven games and the total has gone over in five of those seven. The Twins, on the other hand, are 19-23 SU and 23-18 ATS. They’ve lost 5.3 units for moneyline bettors while gaining 2.1 units ATS. Minnesota has a 3-4 ATS mark over its last seven games and the under has cashed in four of those seven.
Twins games have an over/under record of 22-18-1 so far in 2018. The Tigers have an over/under record of 21-23-1.
Southpaw Blaine Hardy is the probable starter for the visiting Tigers. Hardy is 0-0 with a 3.38 ERA and seven strikeouts. He has yet to face the Twins this year and did not record a start against them in 2017, either.
The Twins will turn to righty Jose Berrios (4-4, 4.05 ERA) to the mound. Berrios has 50 strikeouts and 10 walks to his name, as well as a WHIP of 0.96. Berrios made two starts against the Tigers in 2017, compiling a spotless 2-0 record with a 7.45 ERA.
Minnesota’s pitchers have given up 4.7 runs per game overall this season as a unit. The club’s starting pitching staff has an ERA of 4.27, a WHIP of 1.34 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 9.2. The bullpen has a 4.72 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 9.3 K/9. In seven games against divisional opponents, Twins starters have an ERA of 3.35 and the bullpen’s ERA is 2.02.
Minnesota’s hitters have put up 4.2 runs per outing, including 4.4 per game against divisional foes and 3.8 per game over their last five. The team’s hit .242/.328/.363 over its last five matchups and is 2-3 SU during that stretch.
Outfielder Eddie Rosario and shortstop Eduardo Escobar have paced the Twins’ batters so far. Rosario is hitting .293/.318/.543 with nine home runs, 27 RBIs and 28 runs scored, while Escobar’s line is .285/.337/.536 with seven homers, 21 RBIs and 24 runs.
Rosario had a slight decline in production against left-handed pitchers at home last year, slashing .291/.300/.407 across 90 such plate appearances (his total season line was .290/.328/.507).
In the other dugout, Detroit’s pitching staff allowed 4.7 runs per game and its starting pitchers own a 4.20 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 7.20 K/9. The bullpen has an ERA of 4.55, along with a WHIP of 1.24 and a K-per-9 of 8.18.
The Tigers offense has slashed .256/.315/.410 on its way to 4.3 runs scored per game this year, including 3.9 runs per game against divisional foes and 2.2 per game over the team’s last five outings (1-4 SU).
Right fielder Nicholas Castellanos and third baseman Jeimer Candelario have led Detroit’s offense. Castellanos is hitting .312/.364/.482 with four home runs, 24 RBIs and 23 runs scored, while Candelario is hitting .272/.359/.497 with five homers, 16 RBIs and 21 runs scored.
Compared to his overall season slash line of .272/.320/.490, Castellanos did not do especially well against righty pitching on the road last season, maintaining a slash line of .212/.264/.360 across 239 such plate appearances.
The Tigers have lost 1.9 units and are 19-15 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher this season. The over has cashed in 13 of those games, compared to 20 that’ve hit the under in such games. On the other hand, the Twins have lost 0.6 units and are 5-4 ATS when facing a lefty starter. The over’s hit in five of those games, compared to four that went under the total.
Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins Free Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Twins, ATS Winner – Tigers, O/U – OVER
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Notes
Betting Trends
The Tigers have lost four of their last five games SU.
Minnesota has posted 18.6 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 outings and 19.0 over its last five.
Both teams have hit nine home runs over their last 10 games.
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