Twins vs. Rays Prediction
Will the Minnesota Twins be able to keep pace in the early stages of the AL Central race when they hit the road on Friday to face the Tampa Bay Rays at 7:10PM ET?
Game Snapshot & Odds
921 Minnesota Twins at 922 Tampa Bay Rays
Friday, April 20, 2018
7:10PM ET, Tropicana Field
TV: FSN (Min); SUN (TB)
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers at YouWager, the Rays are listed as the favorite at home tonight, as Tampa is getting odds of -125 to win. Minnesota is listed with a money line of +115 to prevail. The over/under total has been set at 7.5 runs. Currently 55% of the wagers are going on the Twins on the road. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our MLB Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Minnesota finding ways to win
The Twins have won four of their last five games coming into this series, which includes victories over the Astros and Indians. Minnesota now sits at 8-5 overall with a 3-2 record on the road. The Twins are putting up 4.15 runs per game this season while allowing just 3.38 per contest.
Lance Lynn makes his third start for the Twins tonight. His first start was a 5-run, 4-inning struggle against the Pirates. He followed that up with five scoreless innings against the Astros. Through nine innings, Lynn has 12 strikeouts with 10 walks, a 5.00 ERA and a 1.78 WHIP.
Rays building momentum?
There hasn’t been much to be excited about for the Rays early in the 2018 season, but they are coming off a series win over the Rangers for just their second win in seven games. Tampa is now 5-13 overall and 3-7 at home. The Rays are posting just 3.44 runs per game this year while allowing 5.22 per game.
Chris Archer gets the start tonight for Tampa. He is making his fifth start of the season. Through four starts, Archer has been shaky. He has allowed at least four runs in reach start and has a 7.84 ERA with a 1.69 WHIP. Over 20.2 innings, Archer has 24 strikeouts with nine walks.
MLB Betting Trends
Minnesota
The Twins are just 2-5 in their last 7 games against AL East opponents, but 5-0 after scoring 2 runs or less in their previous game.
Tampa Bay
Tampa has lost four straight against a right-handed starter and they are just 3-7 in Archer’s last 10 starts. They are also just 8-24 in his last 32 starts against a winning team.
Prediction:
Archer has been a dominant pitcher in the past, but we can’t count on that currently. Even if he does snap back into old form, there’s not telling that Tampa will be able to produce at the plate. Lynn is coming off a decent start and he should be able to be competitive against this weak Tampa lineup.
The Pick: Minnesota Twins +115