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The north and the south clash in this American League showdown as the Minnesota Twins will travel to the Lone Star State to take on the Texas Rangers. Let's take a sneak peek at our MLB odds series, where our Twins-Rangers prediction and pick will be revealed.
After just missing out on a sweep of the White Sox during the week in a 9-8 loss, the Twins will look to rebound and extend their division lead with a win in Texas. On the bump will be righty hurler Sonny Gray, who is having a fantastic campaign with a 4-1 record and 2.47 ERA in eleven games started on the year.
In the midst of a four-game losing streak that has seen the Rangers lose the last three by a single run in each, Texas should be determined to get back in the win column on Friday. At 37-43, the Rangers will need to start stringing together some victories ti get back into postseason contention. Scheduled for the start in this one will be the former Rockie in Jon Gray. Gray is 4-4 with a 3.96 ERA in his first season away from the hitter-friendly Coors Field.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Twins-Rangers MLB odds.
MLB Odds: Twins-Rangers Odds
Minnesota Twins: -1.5 (+136)
Texas Rangers: +1.5 (-164)
Over: 7.5 (-114)
Under: 7.5 (-106)
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Why the Twins Could Cover the Spread
Capitalizing on an active four-game skid by the Guardians to propel themselves with a further lead in the AL Central, the Twins now sit 4.5 games ahead of Cleveland and can extend that distance even further with a win in the great state of Texas. After an off-day on Thursday, Minnesota is locked and loaded in an attempt to come out triumphant in a third consecutive series.
One stat that may cause some concern for Twins fans and bettors alike is their inability to avoid playing down to their opponents. In 55 games when slated as the favorite, the Twins are only 23-32.
Nevertheless, this club can hit the ball to the moon if they wanted to. Minnesota is ninth in runs scored with 386 and possesses a .420 slugging percentage which further suggests how powerful this lineup can be. No name in this offensive attack has been as impressive as first-baseman Luis Arraez. A possible surprise contributor to this team, Arraez leads the Twins in hits and is slashing an absurd .354 on the year.
Last and certainly not least, the Twins pitching staff has also been responsible for great success in 2022. After being traded to Minnesota in March before Spring Training, Sonny Gray has supplemented himself as a solid middle arm of the rotation. In a battle of two Grays on the mound (who are not related), Sonny has enjoyed great success against the Rangers over his ten-year career with a 9-3 record and 2.86 ERA in 94 1/3 innings pitched.
Why the Rangers Could Cover the Spread
As for the Rangers, winning baseball games is becoming more and more important as the months of the season continue to pass by. While every team in the league's one responsibility is to come out victorious as frequently as possible, the Rangers are beginning to see their margin for error shrink ever so slightly. Despite some inconsistent play by Texas, the second half of the season still has to be played and the Rangers only trail by six games in the Wild Card race.
The bottom line, the Rangers need to get on the same page. When they decide to score runs, the pitching staff can't hold their end of the bargain and vice versa. Their most recent matchup versus the Orioles was a perfect example of this, as the Rangers only mustered up six hits while leaving six men stranded on base. In the game prior, Texas belted out twelve hits for nine runs in a 10-9 loss at Baltimore. Obviously, consistency is crucial if the Rangers want to uproot the Twins at home.
Texas would also receive a big boost on the diamond if Jon Gray could give them a quality start that keeps the Twins off of the scoreboard and also in the process gives this bullpen a much-needed day of rest. In his career, Gray has never faced off with the Twins.
Final Twins-Rangers Prediction & Pick
If this one is close, then all signs point to Minnesota taking care of business at Globe Life Field. In one-run games, the Rangers have struggled mightily with a 4-17 record on such occasions. Meanwhile, the Twins have compiled a 14-12 record in one-run contests. Texas is certainly not playing their best ball at the moment, and with a first-place squad in the Twins visiting town, the Rangers may be in for a rude awakening.
Final Twins-Rangers Prediction & Pick: Twins -1.5 (+136)
