Twins vs. Dodgers Pick
Can the Los Angeles Dodgers cruise to another win over the Minnesota Twins when the two meet up again tonight at 10:10PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Los Angeles is the clear favorite at home, as the Dodgers are getting odds of -175 to win. The Twins are listed with a money line of +160 to win, while the over/under total has been set at 9 runs.
MLB Quick Links: Scores & Matchups | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Betting Trends | ATS Stats
The pitching matchup tonight has Ervin Santana (11-7, 3.26 ERA) on the mound for the Twins to face Brock Stewart (0-0, 0.00) of the Dodgers. Santana is coming off a poor start, allowing five runs in 3.1 innings against the Tigers. He has been inconsistent, either pitching very well or very poorly over recent weeks. On the season, he has 97 strikeouts with 47 walks and a 1.15 WHIP. Stewart is making his first start. He has pitched relief in six games, a total of 13 innings. He has 10 strikeouts with three walks and a 0.62 WHIP.
The Dodgers have won the first two games in this series, picking up a 6-4 win on Monday. They followed that up with a 6-2 win on Tuesday. The Dodgers have now won five straight meetings with the Twins. Los Angeles is now 70-31 overall and 43-13 at home while Minnesota is 49-50 overall and 26-19 on the road.
Los Angeles relied on its pitching on Tuesday, as Kenta Maeda went five innings and allowed just one earned run to get his ninth win of the season. The bullpen pitched four hitless innings, including three from Josh Ravin. Jose Berrios lasted just four innings for the Twins and gave up for runs to fall to 9-4 on the season. Chris Taylor had a pair of doubles and drove in three runs to lead the Dodgers while Yasiel Puig had three hits and a RBI.
The Dodgers certainly have been tough to beat at home, but I think there is a nice chance for an upset tonight. Santana has usually bounced back from his bad starts with a good one, so I expect him to be on his game against the Dodgers. Stewart has done well in relief appearances but has yet to start a game. I wouldn’t expect him to get deep into this one. While the Dodgers have a great bullpen, I think the Twins will find a way to manufacture some runs throughout the contest and hold off the Dodgers for an upset.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: MINNESOTA TWINS +160