The Minnesota Twins take on the Los Angeles Angels. Check out our MLB odds series for our Twins Angels prediction and pick.
Dylan Bundy gets the ball for the Twins, while Reid Detmers goes to the hill for the Angels.
Dylan Bundy has a 5.01 ERA. He usually gives up two to three runs per game, and he rarely pitches six full innings when he makes a start. He hasn't pitched six full innings since June 24. Most of his starts since then have been exactly five innings, and his longest start was 5 1/3 innings. Bundy's ERA is reflective of what he is as a pitcher: a relatively mediocre starter who won't get crushed but also won't dominate, and who won't pitch very deep into the game. You know what to expect with him: five innings, two to three runs. It's true that he was more volatile earlier in the season, especially April and some portions of June, but since late June, he has been consistently ordinary.
Reid Detmers has a 3.44 ERA, but what's important to note about that number is that it is way down compared to June 21, when Detmers had a 4.66 ERA and then missed two and a half weeks. He returned to the Angel rotation on July 8 and has pitched brilliantly ever since. Detmers, since rejoining the Halos in early July, has pitched to an ERA below 1.30. He has thrown 31 innings and allowed just four earned runs. He obviously found something in his technique and preparation and has put all the pieces together for the Halos. He dominated the Mariners in his last start one week ago, giving up just one run in seven innings. Detmers was not a very consistent pitcher in the weeks since his no-hitter of the Rays on May 10. He is now a much more reliable pitcher on a weekly basis.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Twins-Angels MLB odds.
MLB Odds: Twins-Angels Odds
Minnesota Twins: -1.5 (+150)
Los Angeles Angels: +1.5 (-182)
Over: 8 (-115)
Under: 8 (-105)
Why The Twins Could Cover the Spread
The Twins are watching the Cleveland Guardians take off. The Guardians' winning binge this week has lifted Cleveland to the top of the American League Central. The Twins know that it will be hard to make the playoffs if they don't win the Central. They could get the third and final wild card spot, but the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles are both in the hunt there. The Twins' more likely path to October is through the Central. Therefore, they know they need to keep pace. Teams get into the middle of August and realize what's at stake. Fresh urgency emerges when they see an opponent playing well. Minnesota needs to shift into a higher gear. The urgency of the moment should be their best friend against a not-very-good Angel team.
Why The Angels Could Cover the Spread
Reid Detmers is on fire right now. He is dealing. He has great command and precision, and he has been a transformed player since early July. He is on such a roll that it's hard to bet against him right now. Minnesota might have a better team, but the Angels very clearly have the better starting pitcher in this matchup, and that should count for a lot.
Final Twins-Angels Prediction & Pick
The Twins are the clearly better team, but Detmers is just as clearly a better starting pitcher than Bundy. This is a good stay-away game, but if you insist on making a pick, lean to the Twins because of the fact that Cleveland is putting them in a bind in the American League Central.
Final Twins-Angels Prediction & Pick: Twins -1.5
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