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The Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals meet for the finale! The Twins have gotten off to a slow start and are struggling, while the Royals are playing well. This is a big game and series for both teams in Kansas City. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Twins-Royals prediction and pick.
Twins-Royals Projected Starters
Bailey Ober vs. Michael Wacha
Bailey Ober (0-1) with a 12.15 ERA and a 2.40 WHIP
Last Start: Allowed one run on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts through four innings.
Away Splits: (0-1) 27.00 ERA
Michael Wacha (0-2) with a 4.66 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP
Last Start: Allowed four runs on six hits with one walk and five strikeouts through 5.2 innings.
Home Splits: (0-2) 4.66 ERA
Here are the MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Twins-Royals Odds
Minnesota Twins: -1.5 (+162)
Moneyline: +100
Kansas City Royals: +1.5 (-196)
Moneyline: -118
Over: 8 (-122)
Under: 8 (+100)
How to Watch Twins vs. Royals
Time: 2:10 pm ET/11:10 am PT
Article Continues Below
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City/MNNT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
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 exceptionally slowly and are 3-8 this year. 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 have also struggled to start the season. Despite their overall struggles as a unit, Ty France, Jose Miranada, Willi Castro, Byron Buxton, Matt Wallner, Harrison Bader, 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 talent, but they need to string together some wins, and this might be a good place to start.
The Twins are starting Ober on the mound. He has a 0-1 record, a 12.15 ERA, and a 2.40 WHIP. He has allowed nine runs on 11 hits with five walks and eight strikeouts through 6.2 innings in two starts this season. He also has a K/BB ratio of 1.6. Ober has struggled in his first two starts this season. The Astros have gone 1-1 in the two games Ober has started. This is a tough matchup against a talented Royals offense.
The offense for the Twins has struggled after being solid last season. They were 13th in batting average with a .246, but they have fallen to .207. Wallner and Bader have emerged as the best batters for the Twins behind the plate so far this season. Wallner leads in batting average at .294, in OBP at .400, and in total hits with 10. Bader is the home run leader with three and the RBI leader with 10. This offense has struggled, but they get a decent matchup against Wacha for the Royals due to his struggles.
Why The Royals Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Royals played well last season toward an 86-76 record. They started this season with a 6-5 record. Their bats and pitching were both top 10 units in the MLB last year. The bats have started slow this season, while the pitching is still solid. Seth Lugo, Cole Ragans, Michael Wacha, and Michael Lorenzen make up a monster pitching staff for Kansas City and have been huge this season. Their bats are also significant, led by Bobby Witt Jr., Jonathan India, Maikel Garcia, Salvador Perez, Michael Massey, Hunter Renfroe, and Vinnie Pasquantino. The Royals have the talent to have a monster season, and this game is a great one where they can make a giant statement.
The Royals are starting Michael Wacha on the mound. He has a 0-2 record, a 4.66 ERA, and a 1.55 WHIP. In his two starts this season, he has allowed five runs on 10 hits with five walks and seven strikeouts through 9.2 innings, and the Royals have lost both of his starts. He also has a K/BB ratio of 1.4. Wacha has a lot of talent as a pitcher but has struggled through two games. He should be able to find some success due to all of the struggles that the Twins have had on offense.
The Royals' offense was outstanding last season but has started slowly this season. They are 17th in team batting average at .232 after finishing last season with a .248. Garcia, Pasquantino, Witt Jr., and India lead their offense in most batting categories. Garcia leads in batting average at .306 and in home runs. Then, India leads the team in total hits at eight. Finally, Pasquantino leads the team in RBI with 10, and Witt Jr. leads in total hits with 12. This Royals' offense should be able to score on the Twins in this game because Ober has struggled and will not be able to do much
Final Twins-Royals Prediction & Pick
The Twins have a good matchup because Wacha has struggled, but the Royals are the better team. Kansas City covers and probably wins outright in this game.
Final Twins-Royals Prediction & Pick: Kansas City Royals +1.5 (-196)
