Twins vs. Royals prediction, odds, pick, how to watch
The AL-Central leading Minnesota Twins will look to avoid another letdown as they travel to Kauffman Stadium to do battle with the lowly Kansas City Royals. Let's take an exclusive look at our MLB odds series where our Twins-Royals prediction and pick will be revealed.
After seeing their losing streak reach three games in an 8-5 slugfest victory on Friday, the Minnesota Twins will attempt to finally snap their sluggish ways with RHP Bailey Ober in line for the start. On paper, Ober is 6-4 with a 2.76 ERA during his solid and steady pitching campaign up to this point. At the moment, the Twins only hold a 1.5 game lead for first place in the division and are certainly hanging on by the hair of their chinny chin chins.
In what has been the true definition of a rebuilding season that has seen a plethora of young bucks getting some action within the Kansas City lineup, it was the Royals that won in heroic fashion on Friday, as Bobby Witt Jr. blasted a game-winning Grand Slam in the 10th inning en route to sending home the Twins on a sour note. While it was only the Royals' 30th victory of the season, names like Witt Jr. provide a sense of hope to KC fans everywhere. In line for the Saturday evening start will be the scuffling Jordan Lyles. Throughout the course of 19 games started, Lyles is 1-12 with a 6.19 ERA in what has been a forgettable campaign.
Here are the Twins-Royals MLB odds,
MLB Odds: Twins-Royals Odds
Minnesota Twins: -1.5 (-120)
Kansas City Royals: +1.5 (+100)
Over: 9.5 (+100)
Under: 9.5 (-122)
How To Watch Twins vs. Royals
TV: Bally Sports North
Stream: MLB.TV
Time: 7:10 ET/4:10 PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Twins Could Cover The Spread
If the Twins are not careful, they could quickly see their division lead evaporate out of thin air. While Minnesota does happen to boast a 6-4 record within their last ten games played, this is not a pattern that the Twins want to replicate if they want to be taken seriously as a legitimate contender.
First things first, the one thing that the Twins would like to correct from last night's defeat is to figure out a pitching staff that has allowed a whopping 25 runs over the course of their last three games played. Overall, the pitching scuffles have been slightly surprising given the fact that they have been a top-five pitching unit for the majority of the year with an extremely impressive 3.83 team ERA. At some point, these struggles from the mound will eventually subside as the Twins are far too talented to keep laying eggs with their arms. With that being said, this makes Ober's start that much more important on this Saturday considering that he can put the Twins' pitching ways back on track moving forward.
However, most importantly, the biggest X-Factor for Minnesota will end up being shortstop Carlos Correa, who has the most experience against Royals starter Jordan Lyles. In 21 career at-bats, Correa has produced four hits, including an RBI. Even though Correa is in the midst of a rocky season with his inadequate .229 batting average, the 28-year-old middle infielder is still the Twins most electric and dynamic hitter as he can change the outcome of a game with one swing of the bat. If Lyles ends up hanging a few pitches in the heart of the strike zone, Correa could be the man to answer the call for Minnesota.
Why The Royals Could Cover The Spread
Having not won back-to-back games since July 2nd when the Royals knocked off the Dodgers in consecutive outings, the recipe for success to down the Twins yet again is for another game-changing performance from Bobby Witt Jr. Not only did Witt Jr hit the go-ahead Grand Slam on Friday, but he also finished the night going 4-for-5 and was only a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. Whenever an individual has this type of outing at the plate, there is usually a high chance that that team will come out victorious. Yes, it is hard to ask Witt Jr. for another outstanding showing like the one he provided on Friday. But it sure seems like the 23-year-old shortstop has officially broken out of his mini-slump after going 0-8 during the last two games.
It doesn't help the Royals' chances of covering the spread that starting pitcher Jordan Lyles has been one of the MLB's worst pitchers. After shutting out the Tigers over six innings pitched twelve days ago, Lyles returned to form by surrendering five runs against the Yankees on the 23rd. Clearly, the Royals aren't a good enough team to overcome a poor start from Lyles.
Final Twins-Royals Prediction & Pick
While many betting experts are calling the Royals covering the spread on Friday an anomaly, Minnesota's struggles won't be fixed overnight and Kansas City has all of the momentum. While only time will tell if the Royals can win, they definitely have what it takes to cover the +1.5 run spread.
Final Twins-Royals Prediction & Pick: Royals +1.5 (+100)
