Minnesota Twins (39-50) vs. Detroit Tigers (40-51)
July 17, 2021 1:10 pm EDT
The Line: Detroit Tigers +108 / Minnesota Twins -118; Over/Under: -7.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Minnesota Twins and the Detroit Tigers meet in an AL Central doubleheader in MLB action from Comerica Park on Saturday.
The Minnesota Twins come into the second half of the season with a 39-50 record, sitting 14.5 games back of the division leading White Sox. Nelson Cruz leads the Twins with a .304 batting average, 18 home runs and 46 RBIs along with a team-high 83 hits while Jorge Polanco has 79 hits with 18 doubles. Luis Arraez also had 4 triples while Max Kepler has 3 triples. Miguel Sano has the dubious distinction of leading the Twins with 94 strikeouts this season.
The Detroit Tigers also sit 14.5 games back of the division leader White Sox at 40-51 on the year entering the second half part of their schedule. Jonathan Schoop leads the Tigers with a .277 batting average, 16 home runs and 52 RBIs while Also posting a team-high 94 hits. Akil Baddoo has a team-high 4 triples and Eric Haase and Robbie Grossman each have double-digit home run totals this season.
Game one’s pitching matchup will see Minnesota start Charlie Barnes in his major league debut after spending the first six years of his career in the minors while Jose Urena will start for Detroit and is 2-8 with a 6.43 ERA and 50 strikeouts.
Game two will see Kenta Maeda go to the mound for the Twins with a record of 4-3 with a 4.66 ERA and 71 strikeouts while Detroit has yet to name a starting pitcher for the second half of the double dip.
Minnesota is 4-0 in their last 4 division games and 37-18 in their last 55 Saturday games while the over is 22-9-2 in their last 33 road games. Detroit is 0-4 in their last 4 games overall and 8-3 in their last 11 home games against a team with a losing record while the over is 7-2-1 in their last 10 games overall.
I get the case that could be made either way in both games as both sides will want to get out to the best possible start to the second half. However, I don’t trust the pitching matchup at all in game one, so I’ll be siding with the over in the shortened game and I lean Minnesota’s way in game two depending on who the Tigers send to the mound.
