The Minnesota Twins (31-25) travel to face off against the Houston Astros (25-32) on Friday, May 31st. This game will be played at Minute Maid Park in Houston and televised on MLBN. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. First pitch is set for 7:10 CT.
Twins vs Astros
Ryan Jeffers had a big game at the plate for the Twins in their most recent game vs. the Royals, going 2/3 with two homers and three RBIs. The Twins really needed his offense, as they only picked up three other hits in the 7-6 win. Minnesota was the heavy favorite at -160 going into the game.
Chris Paddack got the start for the Twins, going 5 2/3 innings, and giving up four runs on five hits. He also issued two walks and took the loss. The Twins’s bullpen was able to close things out, and Jhoan Duran picked up the save.
Minnesota is on the road today to take on the Astros, and they are six games behind the Guardians for the AL Central lead. So far, they are 15-11 against other teams in the AL Central. The Twins are 31-25 overall, which is the 3rd best record in the AL Central.
As the road team, the Twins have gone 15-12 compared to 16-13 at home. Minnesota has been really good as the favorite this year, going 25-13, and they are 13-3 as the favorite on the road. Minnesota’s overall series record is 10-6-2, and they have won three straight series.
When the Twins win, they do so by an average of 3.4 runs per game. When they lose, they lose by an average of 4.1 runs per game. Their run line record is 26-30, and they are 15-12 against the run line on the road. They are 17-21 against the run line as the favorite and 9-9 against the run line as the underdog.
The Twins are on the road today to face the Astros. The O/U line for the game is set at 8 runs, which is right around their season average of 8.8 runs per game. Their O/U record for the season is 25-29, and when the line is set at 8 runs, they have gone 4-7-2. So far this season, 37.5% of their games have had an O/U line set higher than 8 runs.
Pablo López Gets The Start For The Twins
Right-hander Pablo López is starting for the Twins today as he faces the Astros on the road. He has made 11 starts this season and has a record of 4-5 with an ERA of 5.25. Lopez’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.17. In his last outing, he took the loss, going 4 2/3 innings and giving up six earned runs on seven hits. Before that, he had lost two straight starts. Lopez has given up at least one homer in three straight outings. The right-hander has made five starts on the road and has a record of 2-2 with a 6.77 ERA.
Twins Offense Breakdown
As a team, the Twins are averaging 4.4 runs per game, which is 11th in the league. They have been a better offensive team on the road this season, averaging 5.1 runs per game. Overall, they are 9th in the league in home runs and have the 4th best isolated power figure in the league. Minnesota’s team batting average is just 18th in the league, coming in at .234.
Ryan Jeffers has been the Twins’ top power threat this season, as his 12 home runs are 6th best in the league. He is also 11th in the league with 36 RBIs. Jeffers is hitting .254 for the season and is currently on a five-game hitting streak. Willi Castro has also been swinging the bat well of late, going 5/17 in his last five games and is batting .263 for the season.
The Astros’s offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Mariners, closing out their series with a 4-0 win. After scoring two runs in the 4th inning, the Astros added another two runs in the 5th to put things out of reach. Houston was the +114 underdog going into this matchup.
Spencer Arrighetti put together a good start for the Astros, going six innings and not giving up a run. He also issued just three hits and struck out eight Mariners batters. Alex Bregman was hot at the plate, going 2/4 with a homer and two RBIs.
Houston is 25-32 overall and trails the Mariners by 5.5 games in the AL West. The Astros are 3rd in the division and head into today’s game vs. the Twins, with an AL West division record of 13-11. They are also 14-15 at home compared to an 11-17 mark on the road.
As the favorite, the Astros have gone just 19-25 this season and are 6-7 as the underdog. At home, they are 1-3 as the underdog this season. Houston’s overall series record is 8-9-1, and they are coming off losing their series vs. the Mariners.
When the Astros win, they win big. Their average run margin in victories is +4.2, while their average run margin in losses is -3.4. Houston has a run line record of 23-34 this season, including a 12-17 mark at home. They are 11-17 against the run line on the road, and 16-28 when favored.
When the Astros play at home, the over/under line is set at 8 runs, which is lower than their season average of 8.9 combined runs per game. The over/under record for Houston games is 21-33, and their games have had an average over/under line of 9 runs. When the line is set at 8 runs, the over/under record is 1-1-1. The under has hit in six straight games for the Astros.
Ronel Blanco Gets The Start For The Astros
Houston is sending Ronel Blanco to the mound today vs. the Twins, and he has made 9 starts this year. Blanco has a record of 5-0 and an ERA of 1.99. In his 9 starts, Blanco has turned in 6 quality starts, along with one shutout and one complete game. Per nine innings, Blanco is averaging 8.45 strikeouts and 3.64 walks. Blanco most recently pitched on May 26th vs. the Athletics, where he got the win, going 7 innings and giving up just one earned run. He allowed one homer in that outing. Before that, he had given up a homer in three straight starts.
Astros Offense Breakdown
For the season, the Astros are averaging 4.4 runs per game, which is 12th in the league. They have been a better offensive team at home this season, averaging 4.9 runs per game. Currently, they are the league’s top home run hitting team and also have the best team batting average in the MLB.
Kyle Tucker has been the Astros’ top power hitter this season, as his 18 homers are the most in the league. He also leads the team with 39 RBIs. However, Tucker and Alex Bregman have both struggled at the plate of late, with Tucker hitting just .152 in his last nine games and Bregman at .211 over the same stretch. Yordan Alvarez has been hot of late, going 12/35 in his last nine games.
Twins vs Astros Prediction
We are in agreement with the oddsmakers on this one, as the Astros are our pick to win with the money line sitting at -114. Our predicted final score is 5-4 in favor of the Astros, which would also have the game going over the 8 run line.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Ronel Blanco is projected to finish with five strikeouts, which is the same as Pablo Lopez. However, we have Lopez finishing with more innings and Blanco giving up more earned runs.
Offensively, the Astros have a higher projected team batting average and are also projected to hit more home runs than the Twins.
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:May 31, 2024 Astros, Twins