The Minnesota Twins will head south to Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium to play their divisional rival Kansas City Royals. The game gets underway 8:15 p.m. ET and Fox Sports Kansas City will televise the matchup.
Minnesota Twins vs. Kansas City Royals Odds
Vegas is listing Kansas City (+110) as the underdog to Minnesota (-120). The total is sitting at 9.5 runs and gamblers can take the over for even money (+100) or the under for -120. Bettors can also wager on the game’s runline with the most recent odds coming in at Twins -1.5 runs (+125) and Royals +1.5 runs (-145).
The Twins are 67-78 SU and have gone 73-71 against the spread (ATS). They’ve lost 13.7 units for moneyline bettors and 2.5 units ATS. Minnesota is 3-4 ATS over its last seven games and the over has hit in four of those seven. The Royals, on the other hand, are 49-96 SU and 70-74 ATS. The team’s lost 26.0 units for moneyline bettors and 12.6 units ATS. Kansas City has covered the spread only twice over its last seven games and the under has cashed in four of those seven.
Royals games have had an over/under record of 61-72-11 in 2018. Minnesota has an over/under record of 70-71-3.
The southpaw Stephen Gonsalves is the projected starter for the visiting Twins. Gonsalves (0-2, 11.68 ERA) has recorded six strikeouts in 12.1 innings so far. He’s 0-0 with a 19.29 ERA against Kansas City this year.
The Royals are putting the ball in the hands of Heath Fillmyer (2-1, 4.75 ERA), who’s got 37 strikeouts and 29 walks to his credit, as well as a WHIP of 1.48. Fillmyer is 0-0 with four strikeouts and a 15.19 ERA over two starts against Minnesota this year.
Minnesota’s pitching staff allowed 4.9 runs per game and its starters own a 4.60 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 8.20 K/9. The bullpen has an ERA of 4.62, along with a K/9 of 9.07.
The Twins offense has slashed .244/.315/.401 on its way to 4.4 runs scored per game in 2018, including 4.4 runs per game against divisional foes and 3.8 per game over the team’s last five contests (3-2 SU).
Outfielder Eddie Rosario and first baseman Joe Mauer have paced Minnesota’s offense. Rosario is hitting .287/.323/.479 with 23 home runs, 75 RBIs and 85 runs scored. Mauer (.274/.345/.375) is up to six homers, 43 RBIs and 51 runs scored.
In the other dugout, Kansas City’s pitching staff has allowed 5.2 runs per game overall in 2018. The team’s starters have an ERA of 5.00, a WHIP of 1.43 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 7.4. The bullpen has a 5.12 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 7.4 K/9. In 64 divisional games, Royals starters have an ERA of 4.82 and the bullpen’s ERA is 5.13.
Kansas City’s hitters have produced 3.8 runs per contest, including 4.2 per game against divisional foes and 3.4 per game over their last five. The team has a slash-line of .215/.308/.344 over its last five matchups and is 3-2 SU during that span.
The Royals’ hitters have been led by second baseman Whit Merrifield and outfielder Alex Gordon. Merrifield is hitting .302/.365/.436 with 12 home runs, 54 RBIs, 76 runs and 35 stolen bases, and Gordon’s line is .239/.320/.358 with 11 homers, 41 RBIs and 50 runs scored.
The Royals have lost 5.4 units and are 23-20 ATS when facing a lefty starter. The over’s hit in 15 of those games, compared to 25 that’ve gone under against left-handed starting pitchers.
Minnesota Twins at Kansas City Royals MLB Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Royals, ATS Winner – Royals, O/U – UNDER
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Notes
Betting Notes
The over has cashed in four of Minnesota’s last seven outings.
Minnesota has recorded 19.1 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 contests and 19.0 over its last five.
The Twins have hit seven home runs in their last 10 games. The Royals have hit nine over their last 10.
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