The Minnesota Twins (75-63) travel to face off against the Tampa Bay Rays (68-70) on Wednesday, September 4th. This game will be played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg and televised on BSSUN. The Rays are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Twins are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Rays. First pitch is set for 5:50 CT.
Twins vs. Rays Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Twins (-115)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 8.5 Runs
- The Twins have scored 5 or more runs in 6 of their last 15 games.
- The Twins have a winning record on the road with 36 wins and 33 losses.
- The Twins have won 4 of their last 6 away games.
- The Twins have a recent head-to-head win against the Rays, scoring 5 runs on September 2nd.
- The Rays have a losing record at home with 36 wins and 37 losses.
Twins vs Rays
Tampa Bay picked up a 2-1 win over the Twins in the most recent game of this series. The Rays had a good chance to win by more than one run, as they only had two fewer hits than the Twins and struck out 12 times as a team.
Jeffrey Springs started for the Rays and picked up the win, going six innings and giving up just one run. He finished the game with four strikeouts but issued two walks. As for the Twins, David Festa got the start and took the loss, giving up two earned runs in five innings of work.
Carlos Santana hit the game’s only home run while going 2/3 with an RBI, but it came in a losing effort. Tampa Bay’s offense was led by a two-hit game from Austin Meadows.
Minnesota has a 25-16-3 series record this season and are 1-1 in their current series vs. the Rays. As the favorite, the Twins have a 59-36 record, but as the underdog, they are 16-27. Their overall run line record is 66-72, including a 23-20 mark as the underdog.
With a 75-63 record, the Twins are 4.5 games behind the Guardians in the AL Central. Their games have averaged 9.2 runs this season, resulting in a 70-64 over/under record. Today’s O/U line of 8.5 runs is lower than usual, as 60.1% of their games have had lower totals.
Ronny Henriquez Gets The Start For The Twins
Ronny Henriquez will be starting for the Twins today, and he comes into the game having made nine appearances and no starts. Henriquez’s ERA is 2.46, and he has a record of 1-0. Looking at his WHIP, it is currently 1.18. In his 11 innings of work, Henriquez has a BB/9 figure of 2.45 and a K/9 figure of 8.18. The right-hander most recently pitched on September 2nd, where he went one inning out of the bullpen and didn’t give up a run. He finished with a no-decision in that outing. Henriquez has finished with a no-decision in each of his last four appearances.
Twins Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Twins have been one of the league’s best offenses, averaging 4.8 runs per game, which is 7th in the MLB. They have been even better at home, putting up an average of 4.9 runs per contest. Overall, they are 9th in home runs and have a team batting average of .251. Minnesota’s team on-base percentage of .321 is 5th in the league.
Ryan Jeffers has been the Twins’ top power threat this season, with 20 homers, and he also leads the team with 59 RBIs. Willi Castro and Carlos Santana are also near the top of the Twins’ home run and RBI leaderboards. Over his last five games, Royce Lewis has gone 6/19 with a homer and four RBIs.
As underdogs, the Rays have a 33-40 record and a 45-28 run line record. They have an average run differential of -0.5 runs per game at home, and their games have averaged 8.2 runs this season. The over/under record in games with an 8.5 run total is 17-16.
Tampa Bay is 68-70 overall, with a 36-37 home record and a 32-33 road record. They are currently 4th in the AL East, 12 games behind the Orioles. The Rays have lost three straight series and are 4-6 in their last 10 games.
Cole Sulser Gets The Start For The Rays
Cole Sulser has made six appearances this season and has yet to make a start. His most recent outing came on September 1st against the Padres, where he went 2 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. In that outing, he didn’t give up a run, coming away with a no-decision. Looking at his overall numbers, Sulser has an ERA of 5.40 and a WHIP of 1.56. Opposing batters are hitting .250 this season off Sulser. Per nine innings, he has 10.8 strikeouts and 6.48 walks. Sulser has allowed a total of three home runs this season.
Rays Offense Breakdown
Junior Caminero comes into today’s game as the Rays’ hottest hitter, as he has gone 11/39 (.282) with two homers and seven RBIs over his last 10 games. Caminero also has a four-game hitting streak. Yandy Diaz and Jonny DeLuca have also been swinging the bat well of late, with DeLuca going 11/30 in his last nine games and Diaz going 8/26 in his last seven games. Both players have two homers in these stretches.
For the season, the Rays are the worst scoring team in the league, averaging just 3.9 runs per game. As a team, they are batting just .230 and have the 23rd ranked slugging percentage in the league. Tampa Bay’s top home run hitter is Christopher Morel, but he is batting just .197 for the season.
Twins vs Rays Prediction
Our pick for this Twins vs. Rays matchup is to take the Twins on the money line, with the payout being -115. We actually have the Twins winning this one by a score of 5-4, which would mean there is some value on the over, as the line is sitting at 8.5 runs.
Looking at some potential player props, you could look at the starting pitchers and go with the over on Tyler Glasnow’s strikeout total, as we have him finishing with 10 K’s. As for the Twins’ starter, we have him ending the game with nine strikeouts.
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 4, 2024 Rays, Twins