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The Angels travel to Minnesota to face the Twins! It has been a struggle for both teams. The Angels are playing better than the Twins, but both teams need a win to gain momentum as the series goes into the weekend. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with an Angels-Twins prediction and pick.
Angels-Twins Projected Starters
Kyle Hendricks vs. Simeon Woods Richardson
Kyle Hendricks (0-2) with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP
Last Start: Allowed three runs on four hits with two walks and one strikeout through five innings.
Simeon Woods Richardson (1-2) with a 4.74 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP
Last Start: Allowed three runs on seven hits with one walk and three strikeouts through 4.1 innings.
Here are the MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Angels-Twins Odds
Los Angeles Angels: +1.5 (-118)
Moneyline: +172
Minnesota Twins: -1.5 (-102)
Moneyline: -205
Over: 8 (-122)
Under: 8 (+100)
How to Watch Angels vs. Twins
Time: 7:40 pm ET/4:40 pm PT
TV: Twins.TV/FanDuel Sports Network Southwest
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why The Angels Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Angels struggled last season to a 63-99 record. The offense struggled, finishing 28th in batting average last season, and the pitching has not been much better, either. Their offense and pitching have been awful this season. Taylor Ward, Zach Neto, Logan O'Hoppe, Mike Trout, Luis Rengifo, Nolan Schanuel, Jo Adell, and Jorge Soler should help this offense improve from how bad they were last year, especially after some of the injuries the Angels dealt with. On the mound, Yusei Kikuchi and Tyler Anderson are the best pitchers for the Angels. The Angels have the talent to be better than last season, but it remains to be seen if they can put it all together.
The Angels are starting Kyle Hendricks on the mound in this game. He has a 0-2 record, a 4.50 ERA, and a 1.20 WHIP. He has allowed 10 runs on 17 hits with seven walks and 10 strikeouts across 20 innings in his four starts. He also has a 1.4 K/BB ratio. Hendricks has struggled more recently, with the Angels winning his first two starts and then losing his last two starts. This is a solid matchup for Hendricks because Minnesota's offense has struggled.
The Angels' offense struggled last season. They were 28th in team batting average at .229, and this season, they have a .216 average, 27th in the MLB. Schanuel, Trout, and Soler are the best players on this offense and have been big standouts. Schanuel leads in batting average at .265 and in OBP at .333. Then, Trout leads in home runs with eight and RBI with 16. Finally, Soler is the leader in total hits with 22. This offense has been awful, but should show up against Woods Richardson because he has not been amazing, and they do have playmakers, making this a big X-factor.
Why The Twins Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Twins were 82-80 last season and were very inconsistent, and they have started the season struggling, with a 9-16 record. They have gone 2-3 in their last five games. The Twins' offense was just above average last season, but they have been awful this season and near the bottom of the league again. The Twins were below average on the mound last year and are in the middle of the league this season. Despite their overall struggles as a unit, Ty France, Willi Castro, Byron Buxton, Matt Wallner, Harrison Bader, Trevor Larnach, Edouard Julien, and Carlos Correa are some notable names on this Minnesota offense. Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez are the standouts on the mound and need to be the difference makers. The Twins have struggled big time.
The Twins are starting Simeon Woods Richardson on the mound. He has a 1-2 record, a 4.74 ERA, and a 1.63 WHIP. He has allowed 10 runs on 25 hits with six walks and 19 strikeouts across 19 innings in four appearances this season. He also has a K/BB ratio of 3.2. Woods Richardson has been the epitome of inconsistency this season, with the Twins going 2-2, alternating wins and losses in his starts, and losing his last start.
The Twins' offense has struggled after being solid last season. They were 13th in batting average with a .246, but they have fallen to .216 this year. France and Buxton have emerged as the Twins' best batters, taking turns leading in each batting category. Buxton leads the team in home runs with five, in RBI with 12, and total hits with 20. Then, France leads in batting average at .233 and OBP at .327. This offense has had a rough start to the year. They are facing Hendricks, who does not present a giant challenge, but it won't be an easy matchup.
Final Angels-Twins Prediction & Pick
These teams are very similar. The pitching duel is identical, but Hendricks is slightly more trustworthy. The offenses are awful in comparison. The Angels should cover and keep this close, even if the Twins win outright.
Final Angels-Twins Prediction & Pick: Los Angeles Angels +1.5 (-118)
