The Minnesota Twins (32-26) travel to face off against the Houston Astros (26-33) on Sunday, June 2nd. This game will be played at Minute Maid Park in Houston and televised on None. The Astros are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Twins are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Astros. First pitch is set for 12:05 CT.
Twins vs Astros
Thanks to a two-home run performance from Yordan Alvarez, the Astros cruised to a 5-2 win over the Twins in the most recent game of this series. Heading into the game, the Astros were favored at -123 on the money line.
Alvarez homered in the first and second innings, scoring two of the Astros’ three runs in the first and two of their three runs in the 2nd. Kyle Tucker also had a two-run homer for the Astros in the 2nd. On the other side, the Twins got on the board with one run in the 7th and added their final run in the 8th.
Framber Valdez pitched well for the Astros in this one, going seven innings and giving up just one run on two hits. He finished the game with four strikeouts but issued two walks. Joe Ryan struggled on the mound for the Twins, taking the loss after going five innings and giving up five runs on eight hits.
Minnesota is 32-26 overall and is 7.0 games behind the Guardians for the AL Central lead. The Twins are 15-11 against other teams in the AL Central. They have won three straight series and have an overall series record of 10-6-2 this year.
At home, the Twins are 16-13 this year, and they have been good on the road, going 16-13 as well. As the favorite, the Twins are 25-13, and they are 7-13 as the underdog. So far, they are 7-3 over their last ten games.
When the Twins win, they tend to win big, with an average run margin of 3.4 runs per victory. But when they lose, they lose by an average of 4.0 runs per game. Their run line record is 27-31, with a run line record of 16-13 on the road.
The Minnesota Twins are on the road today against the Houston Astros. The over/under line for the game is set at 8.5 runs, which is slightly higher than their combined run average of 8.7 runs per game. The Twins have an over/under record of 25-31 on the season, and their games have averaged an over/under line of 8 runs per game. When the line has been set at 8.5 runs, they have gone under the total in 11 of 15 games. Overall, 63.8% of their games have had lower over/under lines than today’s line of 8.5 runs.
Simeon Woods Richardson Gets The Start For The Twins
Through eight starts, Simeon Woods Richardson has a record of 2-0 and an ERA of 2.70 for the Twins. He has made two quality starts this year and is coming off a game in which he gave up two earned runs in five innings of work. In that outing vs. the Royals, he gave up three hits, issued two walks, and gave up two home runs. Woods Richardson has not lost a game this year, but he has finished with a no-decision in three straight outings. Opponents are batting .232 this year vs. Woods Richardson.
Twins Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Twins are averaging 4.4 runs per game, which is 12th in the league. However, they have been even better on the road, putting up an average of 5 runs per game. As a team, they are batting just .231, which is 19th in the league, and their on-base percentage of .305 is also below average.
Ryan Jeffers has been the Twins’ best power threat this season, as his 12 homers are 9th in the league. He also leads the team with 36 RBIs. Jeffers is hitting .250 for the season. Carlos Santana is 2nd on the team with 8 homers but has struggled with a batting average of just .209. Over his last nine games, Santana is 8/35.
The Astros are 26-33 overall and trail the Mariners by 6.5 games in the AL West. So far, they have gone 13-11 against other teams in the division. Houston is hosting the Twins today and are 15-16 at home this year.
As the favorite, the Astros have gone just 20-26 this year and are 6-7 as the underdog. Houston’s overall series record is 8-9-1, and they are 4-6 in their last 10 games overall.
When it comes to betting the run line on the Astros, it’s been a mixed bag. They are 24-35 overall, but just 13-18 at home. They have a negative run differential overall (-0.1) and on the road (-1.0), but are +0.7 at home. They are 17-29 vs. the run line as the favorite and 7-6 as the underdog.
When the Astros play at home, the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs. Their games have averaged 8.8 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 21-35. The over/under line for their games has averaged 9 runs per game, and when the line is set at 8.5 runs, their over/under record is 5-10. 49.2% of their games have had higher lines than 8.5 runs, and 25.4% have had lower lines. The under has hit in 8 straight games for the Astros.
Hunter Brown Gets The Start For The Astros
Hunter Brown is looking to bounce back from his last outing, where he finished with a no-decision. Against the Mariners, he went six innings and gave up one earned run on four hits. Looking back further, Brown has made 10 starts, and his record for the season is 1-5 with a 6.38 ERA. Opponents have put together a batting average of .274 against Brown this season. One issue for Brown has been the long ball, as he has allowed nine home runs this season. Per nine innings, he is averaging 4.38 walks compared to 9.67 strikeouts.
Astros Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Astros are 2nd in the league in batting average, and they have also done a good job of limiting strikeouts this season. As a team, they are averaging 4.4 runs per game, which is 13th in the league. Houston’s offense has been even better at home, averaging 4.8 runs per contest. Collectively, the Astros have the 4th most home runs in the league.
Over his last seven games, Alex Bregman has gone 10/28 with three homers and five RBIs. This has helped him move his season batting average up to .292. Kyle Tucker has been the Astros’ top power threat this season, as his 19 homers is 2nd best in the league. Yordan Alvarez is right behind him with 11 homers and is 3rd on the team with 25 RBIs.
Twins vs Astros Prediction
Our prediction for this Twins vs. Astros matchup is to take the Astros on the money line at -140. We actually have the Astros winning this one by a score of 6-5, which means there is a little bit of value on the over, as the line is currently sitting at 8.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, our projections have Hunter Brown finishing with five strikeouts compared to Simeon Woods Richardson with just four. Brown is also projected to give up fewer earned runs than Richardson, and we have him finishing with a better chance of picking up the win.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:June 2, 2024 Astros, Twins