The Kansas City Royals (65-55) travel to face off against the Minnesota Twins (67-52) on Wednesday, August 14th. This game will be played at Target Field in Minneapolis and televised on MLBN. The Twins are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Royals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Twins. First pitch is set for 12:10 CT.
Royals vs. Twins Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Twins (-106)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 8 Runs
- The Twins have won 4 out of their last 5 home games.
- In their last 15 games, the Twins have scored an average of 5.6 runs per game.
- The Twins have won all 3 head-to-head games against the Royals in their last series, outscoring them 25-7.
- The Twins have a home record of 36-23, compared to the Royals’ away record of 27-30.
- The Twins have a positive run differential of +20 in their last 15 games.
Royals vs Twins
Even though the Twins were the slight favorites on the road, they still picked up a 13-3 win over the Royals in the most recent game of this series. Minnesota’s offense got off to a fast start, scoring three runs in the first and adding four more in the 2nd. On the other side, the Royals got on the board with one run in the 5th and added their final two runs in the 6th.
Zebby Matthews only went five innings for the Twins but gave up just two hits and two earned runs. He finished the game with five strikeouts but issued two walks. As for the Royals, Seth Lugo got tagged for seven earned runs in just four innings of work.
Max Kepler and Christian Vazquez each homered for the Twins, while Kyle Farmer went 1/1 with a home run and two RBIs. Jose Miranda also had a big game at the plate, going 3/5 with two RBIs.
As the underdog, the Royals have a 35-24 run line record and are 27-32 straight up. They are looking to snap a two-game losing streak today and trail the Twins by 3.5 games for 2nd place in the AL Central. Kansas City’s overall run line record is 66-54, with a +0.7 run differential per game.
This season, 62.5% of Royals games have had over/under lines above 8 runs, and their over/under record is 55-62. The average run total for their games is 8.9 runs, and their current over streak is at 7 games.
Cole Ragans Gets The Start For The Royals
Kansas City is sending left-hander Cole Ragans to the mound today vs. the Twins. He has made 24 starts this season and has a record of 9-7 with a 3.27 ERA. Ragans’ WHIP for the season is currently 1.17, and he has a batting average allowed of .215. In his 24 appearances, Ragans has turned in 16 quality starts and is averaging 10.65 strikeouts per nine innings. Ragans’ last outing came vs. the Red Sox, where he picked up the win, going 6 1/3 innings and giving up one earned run. He has won each of his last two starts.
Royals Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Royals are averaging 4.8 runs per game, which is 9th in the league. At home, they have been even better, putting up 5.3 runs per contest. As a team, the Royals are batting .253, which is 7th in the league, and they are also one of the league’s best teams at avoiding strikeouts. One area they have struggled in is drawing walks, as they are just 26th in the league in that category.
Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez have been the team’s top power threats this season, with Witt Jr. leading the team with 23 homers and Perez right behind him at 22. Witt Jr. is also batting .347 for the season and has gone 9/23 in his last six games, with three homers and eight RBIs. Perez is currently on a seven-game hitting streak.
Minnesota is 67-52 overall and 2nd in the AL Central, 3.5 games behind the Guardians. They have a 28-16 record against divisional opponents and have won two straight games, going 6-4 in their last 10.
On the run line, the Twins are 59-60, with a +0.6 run margin per game. Their over/under record is 62-53, and the over has hit in 40.3% of their games. The O/U line for their games averages 8 runs, and their combined run average is 9.3.
Louie Varland Gets The Start For The Twins
Right-hander Louie Varland gets the start for the Twins today as he faces the Royals at home. Varland has made six starts and seven total appearances this season, finishing with a record of 0-4 and 6.46 ERA. So far, he has been unable to pick up a win at home, going 0-2 with a 6.85 ERA. Varland’s ERA on the road is 6.98, and he has a record of 0-2 away from home. The last time he pitched, he finished with a no-decision, giving up three earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. Varland has finished with a no-decision in each of his last three outings.
Twins Offense Breakdown
Not only are the Twins 6th in the league in runs per game, but they have also been one of the league’s top home run-hitting teams this season. As a team, they are batting .254, which is 6th in the league, and have an OPS of .756, which is also 6th. Willi Castro and Byron Buxton have been two of the team’s top power threats this season, with Castro having 9 homers and Buxton at 16. Castro comes into the game on a six-game hitting streak.
Over his last eight games, Max Kepler has gone 10/30, and Christian Vázquez has gone 6/12 over his last four games. Vázquez is also on a six-game hitting streak. Ryan Jeffers comes into the game as the Twins’ leader in RBIs (53) and is 1st on the team with 17 homers.
Royals vs Twins Prediction
Our pick for today’s Royals vs. Twins game is to take the Twins on the money line at -106. We have the Twins winning this one by a final score of 6-5. With the over/under sitting at 8 runs, you could also look to take the over in this one.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Louie Varland finishing with four strikeouts compared to Cole Ragans, who we have finishing with five. However, we have Varland finishing with a better ERA than Ragans.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:August 14, 2024 Royals, Twins