The Minnesota Twins will play host to the Pittsburgh Pirates at Target Field. This interleague matchup will get underway at 1:10 p.m. ET and fans can tune in to Fox Sports North to catch the game.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Minnesota Twins Odds
Minnesota (-120) is favored over Pittsburgh (+110) and Vegas has set the Over/Under for this one at 8.5 runs (-125 for the under and +105 for the over). Bettors can also wager on the game’s spread with the runline odds sitting at -190 for the Pirates +1.5 runs and +165 for the Twins -1.5.
The Pirates have gone 61-59 SU this year and are 57-62 against the spread (ATS). The team hasn’t moved the needle very much this year, gaining 2.6 units for moneyline bettors, despite having lost 8.3 units ATS. Pittsburgh has covered the spread four times in its last seven games and the total has gone under in four of those seven. The Twins, on the other hand, are 55-63 SU and 63-54 ATS. They’ve lost 10.1 units for moneyline bettors while gaining 6.0 units ATS. Minnesota has covered the spread only twice over its last seven games and the total has gone under in five of those seven.
Minnesota games have a 55-59-3 over/under record in 2018. Pittsburgh has an over/under record of 57-54-8.
Chris Archer will get the start for the visiting Pirates. The right-handed Archer is 4-5 with a 4.36 ERA and 111 strikeouts. He’s 0-0 with 12 strikeouts and a 2.45 ERA against Minnesota this year (two starts).
The Twins are handing the ball to righty Jose Berrios (11-8, 3.66 ERA), who has 153 strikeouts and 42 walks, as well as a 1.09 WHIP. Berrios hasn’t faced the Pirates yet this year and did not record a start against them in 2017.
As a unit, Minnesota’s pitching staff has allowed 4.6 runs per game overall this year. Its starters have a 4.32 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings. The bullpen has a 4.63 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 9.4 K/9.
The Minnesota hitters are putting up 4.4 runs per contest, including 3.7 per game over its last 10 games and 3.6 per game over their last five. The team has slashed .241/.276/.367 over its last five contests and is 2-3 SU during that stretch.
Left fielder Eddie Rosario and shortstop Eduardo Escobar have paced the Twins’ batters this year. Rosario is slashing .295/.337/.495 with 20 home runs, 67 RBIs and 75 runs scored, while Escobar is hitting .274 with 15 homers, 63 RBIs and 45 runs.
In the other dugout, Pittsburgh’s pitching staff allowed 4.5 runs per game and its starters own a 4.20 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 7.16 K/9. The bullpen has logged an ERA of 4.22, along with a WHIP of 1.31 and a K/9 of 9.58.
The Pirates offense has slashed .255/.322/.415 on its way to 4.5 runs scored per game in 2018, including 4.8 runs per game over the team’s last 10 games and 5.8 per game over the team’s last five outings (2-3 SU).
Outfielders Corey Dickerson and Starling Marte continue to lead Pittsburgh’s offense. Dickerson is slashing .302/.333/.483 with 11 home runs, 46 RBIs and 52 runs scored. Marte (.276/.320/.469) is up to 17 homers, 57 RBIs, 63 runs and 28 stolen bases.
The Pirates have gained 8.4 units and are 43-41 ATS when facing a righty starter this season. The over has hit in 35 of those games, compared to 42 that’ve gone under in such games. On the other hand, the Twins have lost 7.5 units and are 44-40 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher. The over has hit in 43 of those games, as opposed to 39 which went under the total.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Minnesota Twins Free Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Twins, ATS Winner – Pirates, O/U – OVER
