While there seems to be a bit of a battle for supremacy raging in the National League, the American League is beginning to see some of the better teams create a bit of a separation in the division races. The Houston Astros have a 7 ½ game lead in the West, while the Twins are making it look very easy in the AL Central Division, leading there by a whopping 9 ½ games. The one exception to the rule in the AL is in the East, where the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays are battling it out for supremacy while both putting together a very solid season in the early going. With all of that in mind, one of the best games on the MLB calendar for Thursday sees the Minnesota Twins head down south to face the Tampa Bay Rays in what should be a very entertaining series. The first of 4 games in this series is set to go on Thursday night, with the Tampa Bay Rays in as a 1 ½ run favorite at home. The run total for this one has been set at 8.
Twins vs Rays MLB Betting Odds, Game Preview & Pick
- When: Thursday May 30 at 7:10 PM EST
- Where: Tropicana Field, Tampa
- TV: MLBN
- Radio: Minnesota / Tampa Bay
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
- Starting Pitchers: Perez Vs Morton
- MLB Odds: Rays -1.5 (+145)
Why bet on the Minnesota Twins?
The Minnesota Twins have been easily the most consistent team in the MLB through the first 50 or so games of the season, so it’s perhaps no real surprise that they currently own the best record in baseball at 37-17. That, as we mentioned earlier, is enough to give them a huge lead in the NL Central, and while they are well ahead of the pack, we should not expect to see them take the foot off the gas anytime soon.
Over the last 10 games, the Twins have gone 8-2 SU and have done so in rather dominant style, covering the spread in 8 of their last 10 games. They are a very impressive 18-8 SU on the road and have gone 8-6 ATS as a road dog. The Twins will hand the ball to Martin Perez (7-1, 2.95 ERA) for this game.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Runs: 6.00
- Hits: 9.41
- Walks: 3.26
- Strike Outs: 7.59
- Runs: 3.93
- Hits: 8.15
- Walks: 2.74
- Strike Outs: 8.72
Why bet on the Tampa Bay Rays?
After surging out to a fast start that took them to the top of the AL East, the Tampa Bay Rays started to wobble just a little, going through an inconsistent patch that saw them surrender the division lead to the New York Yankees. The Rays look to be back on their feet again in a big way, winning 5 games in a row to get back within 1 game of the lead in the East. They opened up this home stand by sweeping the Toronto Blue Jays in 3 games, taking their season record to 34-19 in the process.
That makes them 1 of only 4 teams in the AL to have a win percentage over .600. The Rays are 16-11 SU at home this season and are 11-10 ATS as a home favorite. They will have Charlie Morton (5-0, 2.54 ERA) on the mound for this one.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Runs: 4.55
- Hits: 8.94
- Walks: 3.64
- Strike Outs: 9.64
- Runs: 3.13
- Hits: 7.06
- Walks: 3.08
- Strike Outs: 9.79
Twins vs Rays MLB Betting Trends
- Twins are 7-1 SU in the last 8 games
- The total went UNDER in 4 of the Twins’s last 5 games
- Rays are 5-0 SU in the last 5 games
- The total went OVER in 7 of the Rays’s last 8 games against Minnesota
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction for Twins vs Rays
Both of the starting pitchers in this game have been fabulous this season, which makes the UNDER look like a very good bet here. I am giving the slight edge to the Rays at home.
Minnesota Twins 2 Tampa Bay Rays 3
