The Minnesota Twins (67-53) travel to face off against the Texas Rangers (56-65) on Thursday, August 15th. This game will be played at Globe Life Field in Arlington and televised on BSSW. The Rangers are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Twins are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Royals. First pitch is set for 7:05 CT.
Twins vs. Rangers Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Rangers (+104)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 8.5 Runs
- The Rangers have scored an average of 5.2 runs per game over their last 15 games.
- The Rangers have a home record of 31-27, indicating a stronger performance at home.
- The Rangers have won 4 out of their last 6 home games.
- The Rangers have outscored their opponents by a total of 15 runs in their last 3 home wins.
- The Rangers have a recent head-to-head win against the Twins, scoring 6 runs to the Twins’ 2 runs on May 26th.
Twins vs Rangers
The Rangers Took The Last Game Of This Series
The Twins will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Royals with a 4-1 loss. This was especially tough, as it was the Twins’ fourth straight loss. Minnesota was the slight favorite at -105 on the money line going into the game but fell behind early, as the Royals scored twice in the second.
Louie Varland put together a good start for the Twins, going six innings and giving up just three runs on eight hits. He only had three strikeouts in the outing and took the loss. The Twins’ offense scored their only run in the 4th inning but left the bases loaded. Carlos Santana hit a homer for the Twins but went just 1/4.
Minnesota is 67-53 overall, 4.5 games behind the Guardians in the AL Central. They are 28-17 against divisional opponents and have a 23-13-3 series record. As the favorite, they are 54-31 straight up but 41-44 against the run line.
Twins games have averaged 9.2 runs this season, with an over/under record of 62-54. The O/U line of 8.5 runs is lower than usual, as only 59.2% of their games have had lower total lines.
Bailey Ober Gets The Start For The Twins
Right-hander Bailey Ober gets the start for the Twins today as he faces the Rangers on the road. He has made 22 starts this season and has a record of 12-5 with a 3.52 ERA. Opposing batters are hitting .201 off Ober this season. In his 22 appearances, he has turned in 13 quality starts and is averaging 9.63 strikeouts per nine innings. Ober’s most recent outing was on August 9th, where he picked up the win, going six innings and not allowing a run. He finished with nine strikeouts in that outing.
Twins Offense Breakdown
For the season, the Twins are averaging 4.9 runs per game, which is 6th in the league. They have been even better at home, averaging 5.1 runs per game. Overall, they are 6th in home runs and have the league’s 7th best team batting average. Minnesota’s offense has been led by Ryan Jeffers, who has 17 homers and 53 RBIs, both of which lead the team.
Carlos Santana and Byron Buxton are tied for 2nd on the team with 16 homers apiece. Buxton has gone 3/12 with two homers over his last four games, while Max Kepler has gone 8/21 in his last five games with a homer and four RBIs. Kepler is also on a three-game hitting streak.
The Rangers Are Coming Off A Win
Heading into their last game vs. the Red Sox, the Rangers closed out the series with a 9-7 win. Leading up to the game, they were the slight favorite at +116 on the money line. It was a big 3rd inning that really turned things in their favor, and the Red Sox could only score one run in the 3rd to answer. Texas added another three runs in the 6th to put things out of reach, and the Rangers closed things out with a 3-run 9th.
Dane Dunning got the start for the Rangers, going five innings and giving up four earned runs on five hits. He only had three strikeouts in the outing and took the loss. Adolis Garcia was hot at the plate, going 3/5 with two homers and three RBIs.
When playing as the underdog, the Rangers have a 30-27 record, but as the favorite, they are just 22-42. Their overall record is 56-65, and they are 9.5 games behind the Astros in the AL West. The over/under record for Texas games this season is 55-61, with an average of 8.8 runs per game.
For the season, the Rangers have a run differential of -0.3 runs per game, with an average of 0.5 runs per game at home and -1.0 runs per game on the road. They are looking to snap a two-game losing streak at home and improve their series record, which currently stands at 15-23-1 with two straight series losses.
Cody Bradford Gets The Start For The Rangers
Texas is sending left-hander Cody Bradford to the mound today vs. the Twins. He has made six appearances this year, coming out of the bullpen once. Bradford’s ERA for the season is 3.60, and he has a record of 4-0. Opponents are batting .203 this year vs. Bradford. In his 30 innings of work, he has allowed four homers. Bradford has made two quality starts this year and is averaging 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings. Most recently, he faced the Yankees and picked up the win, going five innings and allowing one earned run.
Rangers Offense Breakdown
Corey Seager has been the Rangers’ top hitter this season, batting .274 with 26 home runs and 63 RBIs, which is the best mark on the team. Seager has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 7/26 in his last six games with two homers and six RBIs. Adolis Garcia has also been on a tear, going 11/24 in his last six games with two homers and five RBIs. Garcia is 2nd on the team with 20 homers but has a batting average of just .222 for the season.
Overall, the Rangers are averaging 4.3 runs per game and have been a better offensive team on the road this season. As a team, they are batting just .239, which is 14th in the league, and their on-base percentage of .308 is 16th. Texas comes into the game with a team OPS of .690, which is 19th in the league.
Twins vs Rangers Prediction
With the Rangers at +104 on the money line, that is the direction we would recommend going for today’s Twins vs. Rangers matchup. Our predicted final score is 6-5 in favor of the Rangers, and you could also look to take the over, as the line is sitting at 8.5 runs.
Looking at today’s starters, Bailey Ober actually has the highest projected innings among today’s starters. However, we have him giving up six hits and finishing with six strikeouts. As for Cody Bradford, he is projected to finish with five K’s and give up six hits.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:August 15, 2024 Rangers, Twins