Wednesday, March 22, 2017

The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Phil Hughes vs. Dallas Keuchel

The Minnesota Twins visit The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches on Wednesday, March 22, 2017 to play the Houston Astros in a Spring Training matchup. The probable starters are Phil Hughes for the Twins and Dallas Keuchel for the Astros.

The opening line for this matchup has Minnesota at +115 and Houston at -135. The Twins had a 95-59-8 over/under record and a 83-79-0 run line mark last season, meaning they covered 51% of the time. The Astros were 72-90-0 against the run line and had a 73-81-8 over/under record. They covered the spread 44% of the time.

Valuable Minnesota Twins Betting Trends

The Minnesota Twins were 95-59-8 against the over/under last season

The Minnesota Twins were 83-79-0 against the run line last season

Important Houston Astros Betting Trends

The Houston Astros were 73-81-8 against the over/under last season

The Houston Astros were 72-90-0 against the run line last season

Key Minnesota Twins Injuries

03/11/17 P Trevor May Arm out indefinitely

Key Houston Astros Injuries

No key injuries to report

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Twins are coming off a 59-103 record in 2016, including 29-52 on the road. Starting pitcher Phil Hughes had a 1-7 record with an earned run average of 5.95 and a WHIP of 1.51. He had 34 strikeouts over his 59 innings pitched and he gave up 76 hits last season. He allowed 11.6 hits per 9 innings and he had a FIP of 5.08. The bullpen last year had an earned run average of 4.63 and they gave up 613 base hits on the year. Teams hit .271 against the bullpen while being struck out 536 times and walking 198 times last season. As a team, Minnesota allowed 10.09 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.43 batters per nine innings. They were 29th in the league in team earned run average at 5.08. The Twins pitchers collectively gave up 1,617 base hits and 814 earned runs. They allowed 221 home runs last season and they allowed 1.4 homers per nine innings as a staff. Minnesota as a pitching staff walked 479 batters and struck out 1,191. They walked 3 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.4 per 9. They had a team WHIP of 1.45 and their FIP as a unit was 4.57.

For expert handicapping advice on this matchup and other MLB games check out our handicapping tips.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Minnesota batted .251, good for 21st in the league while putting together a .251 average away from home. The Twins held a .421 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .316 which was good for 22nd in baseball. They ranked 17th in baseball with 8.7 hits per game. Brian Dozier is coming off a 2016 season in which he hit .268 with an on-base percentage of .340. He had 165 hits last season along with 104 runs scored and 99 runs batted in. He struck out 138 times and walked 61 times. Joe Mauer hit .261 last year and he had an on-base percentage of .363. He totaled 129 hits while scoring 68 runs and he drove in 49. He walked 79 times and struck out on 93 occasions. The Twins had 1,409 hits, including 288 doubles and 200 home runs. They stole 91 bases and were thrown out stealing 32 times. Minnesota walked 513 times last season and they struck out 1,426 times as a unit. They left 1,124 men on base and had a team OPS of .738. They scored 4.46 runs per contest and scored a total of 722 runs last year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Houston had a 43-38 home record and a 84-78 overall mark in 2016. With an earned run average of 4.55, Dallas Keuchel had a 9-12 record and a 1.29 WHIP last season. He had 144 strikeouts over the 168 innings he pitched during which he gave up 168 hits. He allowed 9 hits per nine innings and his FIP stood at 3.87. Last season the bullpen had an earned run average of 3.56 and they gave up 475 base hits on the year. Teams hit .227 against the Astros bullpen while being struck out 617 times and walking 153 times last season. As a team, Houston allowed 8.84 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.56 batters per nine innings. They were 11th in the league in team earned run average at 4.07. The Astros pitchers as a team surrendered 1,441 base knocks and 663 earned runs last season. They gave up 181 home runs last year and they gave up 1.1 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Houston as a staff walked 453 hitters and struck out 1,396. They gave up a walk 2.8 times per 9 innings while they struck out 8.6 per 9. Their team WHIP was 1.29 while their FIP as a staff was 3.85.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they batted .247, good for 24th in the league while putting together a .238 average at home. The Astros held a .417 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .319 which was good for 19th in baseball. They ranked 23rd in baseball with 8.44 hits per contest. George Springer comes into this matchup after batting .261 with an OBP of .359. He had 168 hits last year along with 116 runs scored and 82 RBI. He struck out 178 times and walked on 88 occasions. Jose Altuve hit .338 in 2016 and he had an OBP of .396. He collected 216 hits while scoring 108 runs and driving in 96. He earned a walk 60 times and punched out 70 times. The Astros as a unit had 1,367 base hits, including 291 doubles and 198 homers. They had 102 stolen bases and were thrown out 44 times. Houston as a team walked 554 times last year and they struck out 1,452 times. They had 1,086 men left on base and had an OPS of .735. They scored 4.47 runs per game and totaled 724 runs last season.

Who will win tonight's Twins/Astros MLB game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Twins +115

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Tony Sink