The Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers clash Sunday in game 3 of an MLB series at Globe Life Field. Let’s preview this game and give out a pick and prediction.
Minnesota Twins Betting Preview
The Twins look for a win after winning 6 of their last 9 games. The Twins have a 5 game lead in the AL Central. The Twins pitching staff is 7th in ERA (3.92), 3rd in WHIP (1.20) and 1st in quality starts (67). The Twins offense is 15th in runs per game (4.50), 23rd in batting average (.239) and 6th in homers (190). Carlos Correa leads the Twins with 105 hits and 58 RBI, while Donovan Solano and Max Kepler have combined for 188 hits and 84 RBI. Kenta Maeda gets the ball, and he is 3-7 with a 4.69 ERA and 91 strikeouts this season. Maeda is 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA and 14 strikeouts in his career against the Rangers.
Minnesota Twins Team Facts
- The Twins have won each of their last 10 Sunday games as underdogs against the Rangers.
- The Twins have covered the run line in 10 of their last 11 games as road underdogs against American League opponents.
- The Twins have led after 7 innings in each of their last seven road games against American League opponents that held a winning record.
- The Twins have trailed after 3 innings in each of their last four day games against AL West opponents.
- The Twins have led after 5 innings in three of their last four games as road underdogs.
Texas Rangers Betting Preview
The Rangers need a win after losing 12 of their last 15 games. The Rangers are 2 games back in the AL West. The Rangers pitching staff is 15th in ERA (4.09), 8th in WHIP (1.23) and 9th in quality starts (59). The Rangers’ offense is 3rd in runs per game (5.51), 2nd in batting average (.267) and 7th in homers (185). Marcus Semien leads the Rangers with 153 hits and 81 RBI, while Nathaniel Lowe and Corey Seager have combined for 273 hits and 151 RBI. Jon Gray gets the ball, and he is 8-7 with a 3.79 ERA and 120 strikeouts this season. This will be Gray’s second career game against the Twins.
Texas Rangers Team Facts
- The Rangers have lost each of their last six games as home favorites.
- The Rangers have failed to cover the run line in 14 of their last 15 games.
- The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Rangers’ last five Sunday games.
- The Rangers have trailed after 7 innings in each of their last six games as home favorites.
- The Rangers have trailed after 3 innings in four of their last six games as home favorites.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Texas Rangers ranks 2nd in the league for hits this season (1252).
- The Texas Rangers ranks 2nd in the league for doubles this season (286).
- The Minnesota Twins ranks 30th in the league for strikeouts against this season (1400).
- The Minnesota Twins ranks 1st in the league for strikeouts this season (1281).
Randy’s Pick
The Rangers should be favored because they’re at home, and they have the pitching edge with Jon Gray on the mound. Kenta Maeda has been hit or miss all season long, and he has a 5.04 ERA in his last 25 innings. With all that said, the Rangers continue to free fall and have won just 3 games since August 16. The Rangers have to show me something before I can back them in the favorite role. I’ll gladly grab plus money to fade this ice-cold team.
