Jorge Polanco and the surging Minnesota Twins will take on the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in a Sunday matinee. This interleague showdown will begin at 1:05 p.m. ET and fans can tune in to Fox Sports North to catch the action.
Minnesota Twins at Philadelphia Phillies Odds
Sportsbooks have Minnesota (+115) as the underdog to Philadelphia (-125). You can play game’s total with current odds posted at even money (+100) for over 8.5 runs and -120 for under 8.5. There’s a runline of Twins +1.5 (-180) and Phillies -1.5 (+160) for this matchup.
The Twins are 5-2 SU and have gone 3-3 against the spread (ATS). They’ve accumulated 2.0 units for moneyline gamblers in the season’s early going and 0.2 units ATS. The Phillies, on the other hand, are 5-2 SU and 5-1 ATS. The team’s gained 4.3 units for moneyline bettors and 5.3 units ATS.
Phillies games have a 5-1 over/under record so far in 2019. Minnesota has an over/under record of 4-2.
Jose Berrios (1-0, 1.84 ERA) will get the start for Minnesota. The right-handed Berrios recorded 202 strikeouts in 192 innings last year with only 61 walks and finished the season 12-11 overall with a 3.84 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP.
The Phils are rolling with righty Zach Eflin (1-0, 0.00 ERA) as their starter. Eflin struck out 123 hitters in 128 innings last year (24 starts), while finishing the season 11-8 overall with a 4.36 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP.
Minnesota’s pitchers have allowed 3.9 runs per game and its starting pitchers own a 3.86 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 9.77 K/9. The bullpen has logged an outstanding ERA of just 2.89, along with a K-per-9 of 8.36.
The Twins offense has slashed .262/.349/.430 on its way to 4.9 runs scored per game in 2019, including over the team’s last five outings (4-1 SU).
Minnesota’s offensive production has been powered by shortstop Jorge Polanco and catcher Willians Astudillo. Polanco is slashing .387/.441/.710 with 12 hits, one RBI and four runs scored, while Astudillo has a .500 average with seven hits, four RBIs and six runs scored.
In the other dugout, Philadelphia’s pitchers have yielded 4.6 runs per game overall this year. The team’s starters have a 4.42 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings. The bullpen has a 4.26 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 8.9 K/9.
The Philadelphia offense is putting up 7.3 runs per contest, including 6.6 per game over its last five. The team has hit .276/.400/.447 over its last five matchups and is 3-2 SU during that stretch.
The Phillies’ batters have been led by shortstop Jean Segura and right fielder Bryce Harper. Segura is hitting .355/.375/.452 with 11 hits, five RBIs and nine runs scored, and Harper’s line is .417/.563/.917 with 10 hits, five RBIs and six runs scored.
The Twins have gained 2.0 units and are 3-3 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher this year. The over has cashed in four of those games, compared to two that’ve gone under in such games. On the other hand, the Phillies have netted 4.3 units and are 5-1 ATS when facing a righty starter. The over’s hit in five of those games, compared to one that went under the total.
Twins at Phillies Free Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Phillies, ATS Winner – Twins, O/U – OVER
Betting Notes
- The Twins and Phillies did not face each other in 2018.
- The Twins have won four of their last five games SU.
- The Twins have a team OPS of .780 this season and an OPS of .776 when facing right-handed pitchers. The Phillies’ OPS sits at .883 overall and their lefty-righty split is nearly identical.
