Tampa Bay Rays (43-19) vs Minnesota Twins (31-29)
2023-06-06 18:40:00 EDT
The Line: Betting Odds: Tampa Bay Rays -170 / Minnesota Twins +145 --- Over/Under: 8
(Get latest betting odds)
The Minnesota Twins and the Tampa Bay Rays meet in MLB action from Tropicana Field on Tuesday night. Let’s dive into the odds, starting pitching matchup, history and make a prediction for this game.
Odds
Tampa Bay is listed as a -170 home favorite while Minnesota is a +145 road underdog. The total for this game is set at 8 runs.
Starting Pitching Matchup
Louie Varland will start for the Twins and is 3-1 with a 3.51 ERA and 39 strikeouts this season. Zach Eflin will start for the Rays and is 7-1 with a 3.30 ERA and 57 strikeouts this season.
Matchup History
Tampa Bay’s 6-0 win over Minnesota back on June 12th, 2022, snapped the Twins four-game win streak in this head-to-head matchup.
Trends
Minnesota is 20-42 in their last 62 road games and 4-1 in their last 5 games following a loss while the under is 5-0 in their last 5 Tuesday games. Tampa Bay is 43-19 in their last 62 games overall and 19-7 in their last 26 series-opening games while the over is 14-4 in their last 18 games against a team with a winning record.
Pick
I’m rolling with the Rays here. I get why the Twins are a tempting proposition considering the Rays have started to slow down after their torrid start to the year, and the bullpen that the Rays have been synonymous with in recent seasons has started to falter. However, the Rays keep finding ways to win when Eflin takes the mound, and as much as I see Varland being a decent mid-rotation option for the Twins going forward, I just don’t like this spot for him against the Rays. Give me Tampa Bay in this one.
