The Minnesota Twins (76-66) travel to face off against the Kansas City Royals (78-65) on Sunday, September 8th. This game will be played at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City and televised on BSN. The Royals 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 1:10 CT.
Twins vs. Royals Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Royals (-121)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 8.5 Runs
- The Royals have won 3 consecutive games, showcasing a strong recent performance.
- In the last 15 games, the Royals have scored 4 or more runs in 10 games, indicating a consistent offensive output.
- In the last 15 home games, the Royals have a record of 7-8, showing they are competitive at home.
- In their last 2 head-to-head games against the Twins, the Royals have outscored them 9-2, demonstrating recent dominance over their opponent.
- The Royals have a better home record (44-30) compared to the Twins’ away record (37-36), suggesting a home-field advantage.
Twins vs Royals
It was a low-scoring game in the most recent game of this Royals vs Twins series. Kansas City went into the matchup as +114 underdogs and squeaked out a 4-2 win. Both teams scored two runs in the first inning, and the Twins could only muster one more run in the 3rd inning. As for the Royals, they scored the game’s go-ahead run in the 8th, and both offenses went silent after that.
Edouard Julien was the difference for the Royals, as he homered twice, scored three times, and finished with two RBIs. Alec Marsh pitched well for Kansas City, going five innings and striking out five without giving up a run.
Minnesota wasted a good outing from Bailey Ober, who gave up just one hit and no earned runs in seven innings of work. Jhoan Duran took the loss for the Twins out of the bullpen.
Minnesota has an overall series record of 24-16-4 and an average run margin of +0.3 runs per game. Their games have averaged 9.1 runs per game, leading to a 71-66 over/under record for the season. The under has hit in their last two games, and when the O/U line is 8.5, they are 21-21.
As underdogs, the Twins have struggled, going 9-21 this season, including four straight losses. However, when favored, they have a 60-38 record. Minnesota is currently 3rd in the AL Central, five games behind the Guardians, with an overall record of 76-66.
Simeon Woods Richardson Gets The Start For The Twins
Through 24 starts, Simeon Woods Richardson has a record of 5-3 and an ERA of 3.95. He has made seven quality starts this year and is coming off a short outing in which he didn’t give up a run. Against the Rays on September 2nd, he went 3 2/3 innings, giving up three earned runs, six hits, and two walks. In his outing before that, he gave up one earned run in five innings of work. Woods Richardson has been solid on the road, coming in with a record of 4-2 and an ERA of 4.76.
Twins Offense Breakdown
Minnesota’s offense comes into the game averaging 4.7 runs per game, which is 11th in the league. They have been even better at home, putting up 4.9 runs per contest. Overall, they are 7th in batting average and 6th in slugging percentage. As a team, the Twins have the 9th most home runs in the league.
Carlos Santana and Ryan Jeffers come into the game tied for the team lead in home runs, but both players are batting just .235 this season. Byron Buxton is hitting .275 and is 2nd on the team with 16 homers. Over his last six games, Santana has gone just 4/20.
With a 78-65 record, the Royals are 3.5 games behind the Guardians in the AL Central. They have won three straight games, all against divisional opponents, and hold a 32-16 divisional record. As favorites, they are 45-26 straight up, but as underdogs, they are 33-39.
This season, the Royals are 79-64 against the run line, including a 42-32 record at home. The over/under record for games with an 8.5 run line is 15-24, and their overall O/U record is 64-74. Heading into today’s game, the under has hit in their last three games.
Michael Wacha Gets The Start For The Royals
Right-hander Michael Wacha gets the start for the Royals today as he faces the Twins at home. Wacha has made 25 starts this season and has a record of 11-7 with a 3.50 ERA. In his last outing, he took the loss, going five innings and giving up two earned runs on five hits. Before that, he had won two straight starts. One of his 13 quality starts came in his most recent outing. Wacha’s ERA at home is 3.79, compared to 3.85 on the road. He has a walk rate of 2.44 per nine innings.
Royals Offense Breakdown
For the season, the Royals are averaging 4.7 runs per game, which is 9th in the league. They have been a better offensive team at home, averaging 5 runs per contest. As a team, the Royals are batting .254, which is 5th in the league, and are also one of the best teams in terms of avoiding strikeouts. Their team on-base percentage is just 14th in the league, but they are 9th in slugging and have the league’s 12th best OPS.
Over his last eight games, Bobby Witt Jr. has gone just 6/30 at the plate, but he does have two homers in that stretch. For the season, he is batting .336 with 30 homers and 98 RBIs. Salvador Perez is also having a strong season, with 25 homers and 94 RBIs to go along with a .270 batting average.
Twins vs Royals Prediction
Our prediction for today’s Twins vs. Royals matchup is to take the Royals on the money line, with the payout sitting at -121. We actually have the final score of this game at 6-5 in favor of the Royals.
Looking at some of the starting pitcher projections, we have Michael Wacha finishing with five strikeouts, which would have him finishing 19th among starters. As for Simeon Woods Richardson, he is projected to finish with five K’s, which would have him 18th.
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 8, 2024 Royals, Twins