The Minnesota Twins (80-71) travel to face off against the Cleveland Guardians (87-65) on Wednesday, September 18th. This game will be played at Progressive Field in Cleveland and televised on BSGL. The Twins are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Guardians are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Twins. First pitch is set for 5:40 CT.
Twins vs. Guardians Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Twins (-101)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 7.5 Runs
- The Twins have scored an average of 5.2 runs per game in their last 5 wins.
- The Twins have won 4 out of their last 6 away games.
- The Twins have a recent head-to-head win against the Guardians, scoring 4 runs on September 17th.
- The Twins have a higher away win percentage (50%) compared to the Guardians’ home win percentage (62%).
- The Twins have a positive run differential (+4) in their last 3 games against the Guardians.
Twins vs Guardians
It was a low-scoring game in the most recent game of this Twins vs. Guardians series. Minnesota went into the matchup as +118 underdogs and squeaked out a 4-1 win. The Twins offense only had one more hit than the Guardians and struck out 10 times, but still picked up a convincing win.
Cleveland’s only run came in the 4th inning, as the Twins pitching staff held them in check the rest of the way. Zebby Matthews only went 4 2/3 innings for the Twins but gave up just one hit and one earned run. Cole Sands came out of the bullpen for the win, and Griffin Jax got the save.
Offensively, the Twins were led by Willi Castro and Matt Wallner, who each had two hits and two RBIs. Castro and the Twins’ leadoff hitter, Lane Thomas, both homered in the game.
Minnesota is 4-6 in their last 10 games and currently sit 6.5 games behind the Guardians in the AL Central. Their overall record is 80-71, and they have a 29-21 record against divisional opponents this season.
When the Twins win, they do so by an average of 3.7 runs per game, leading to a 70-81 run line record. Their games have averaged 9.1 runs per game this season, resulting in a 76-69 over/under record. Heading into today’s game, the over has hit in two straight games, and 64.2% of their games have had higher over/under lines than the current total of 7.5 runs.
Bailey Ober Gets The Start For The Twins
Right-hander Bailey Ober gets the start for the Twins today as he faces the Guardians on the road. He has made 28 starts this season and has a record of 12-7 with a 3.90 ERA. Ober’s WHIP for the season is currently .99, and he has one complete game and 17 quality starts. In his last outing, Ober took the loss, giving up five earned runs in 6 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had gone seven innings without giving up an earned run. Opponents are batting .202 off Ober this season. At home, his ERA is 6.01 compared to 6.82 on the road.
Twins Offense Breakdown
Carlos Santana has been one of the Twins’ top power threats this season, as he leads the team with 22 homers and 65 RBIs. He comes into the game on a seven-game hitting streak and went 6/17 in his last four games. Willi Castro has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 6/16 in his last five games, and is batting .250 for the season with 12 homers.
As a team, the Twins are averaging 4.7 runs per game and are 8th in the league in terms of batting average. They have been a good home run hitting team this season and are 5th in the league in isolated power. Minnesota’s offense is also among the league leaders in team slugging percentage and OPS.
Today’s game between the Guardians and Twins has an over/under line of 7.5 runs, the lowest total for Cleveland since July 31st. The under has hit in six straight games for the Guardians, and their games have averaged 8.3 runs this season.
Cleveland’s overall record as the favorite is 61-33, but they are 26-32 as the underdog. Against the run line, they are 33-25 when getting points and 44-50 when favored. The Guardians are 6-4 in their last ten games and are tied with the Twins in their current series.
Tanner Bibee Gets The Start For The Guardians
Tanner Bibee will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Rays, as he gets the start for the Guardians today. In that September 13th start, he took the loss, giving up three earned runs in six innings of work. Before that outing, he had pitched well, going 6 innings and giving up just one earned run in back-to-back starts. Bibee’s ERA for the season is 3.60, along with a record of 11-8. Opponents are batting .229 off the right-hander this season. Looking at his overall numbers, Bibee has made 29 starts, 10 of which were quality starts.
Guardians Offense Breakdown
Jose Ramirez has been one of the league’s top power hitters this season, as his 35 homers are 7th in the league and the best mark on the Guardians. His 107 RBIs are also 5th in the MLB. Ramirez is also on a 10-game hitting streak and has gone 8/23 in his last six games. Overall, he is batting .273 for the season. Josh Naylor is also a power threat in the lineup, as he has 29 homers and is 6th in the league with 103 RBIs.
Overall, the Guardians are averaging 4.4 runs per game and have been a better offensive team at home, where they are averaging 4.7 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting just .238, which is 15th in the league, and they have the worst BABIP in the league at .27.
Twins vs Guardians Prediction
Our pick for today’s Twins vs. Guardians matchup is to take the Twins on the money line, with the payout currently sitting at -101. We actually have the Twins winning this one by a score of 5-4, so you could also look to take the over, as the line is set at 7.5 runs.
Looking at today’s starting pitchers, we have Tanner Bibee finishing with six strikeouts, which is better than Bailey Ober, who we have finishing with five. However, Bibee is projected to go fewer innings than Ober, and we also have him giving up more earned runs.
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:September 18, 2024 Guardians, Twins