Houston Astros at Minnesota Twins 4/11/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Target Field

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Lance McCullers vs. Kyle Gibson

The Houston Astros visit Target Field on Wednesday, April 11, 2018 to play the Minnesota Twins. The probable starters are Lance McCullers for the Astros and Kyle Gibson for the Twins.

The opening line for this matchup has Houston at -156 and Minnesota at +146. The Astros have a 3-8-0 over/under record and a 7-4-0 run line mark. The Twins are 6-2-0 against the run line and have a 3-5-0 over/under record.

Valuable Houston Astros Betting Trends

The Houston Astros are 3-8-0 against the over/under

The Houston Astros are 7-4-0 against the run line

Important Minnesota Twins Betting Trends

The Minnesota Twins are 3-5-0 against the over/under

The Minnesota Twins are 6-2-0 against the run line

Key Houston Astros Injuries

04/03/18 1B Yulieski Gurriel Hand 10-day DL (04/03)
03/30/18 P Brady Rodgers Elbow 10-day DL (03/26)
03/26/18 P James Hoyt Oblique 10-day DL (03/26)
03/26/18 P Jandel Gustave Elbow 10-day DL (03/26)

Key Minnesota Twins Injuries

03/29/18 P Ervin Santana Finger 10-day DL (03/29)
03/28/18 SS Jorge Polanco Suspension 80-game suspension (eligible to return 06/30 vs Chicago Cubs)
03/28/18 P Phil Hughes Oblique 10-day DL (03/29)
03/26/18 P Michael Pineda Elbow 60-day DL (03/26)
03/26/18 P Trevor May Elbow 60-day DL (03/26)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Astros have a 9-2 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Lance McCullers has a 1-1 record with an earned run average of 3.48 and a WHIP of 1.45 this season. He has 17 strikeouts over his 10.1 innings pitched and he's given up 11 hits. He's allowed 9.6 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 2.16. The bullpen has an earned run average of 2.18 and they have given up 29 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .230 against the bullpen and they've struck out 34 hitters and walked 8 batters. As a team, Houston allows 7.3 hits per nine innings while striking out 10.5 batters per nine innings. They are 1st in the league in team earned run average at 1.82. The Astros pitchers collectively have given up 80 base hits and 20 earned runs. They have allowed 7 home runs this season, ranking them 23rd in the league. Houston as a pitching staff has walked 29 batters and struck out 116. They have walked 2.6 men per 9 innings while striking out 10.5 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.10 and their FIP as a unit is 2.61.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Houston is hitting .247, good for 8th in the league. The Astros hold a .397 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .328, which is good for 10th in baseball. They rank 16th in MLB with 8.1 hits per game. Jose Altuve is hitting .357 with an on-base percentage of .404. He has 15 hits this season in 42 at bats with 3 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .405 and an OPS+ of 143. Carlos Correa is hitting .333 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .368. He has totaled 11 hits and he has driven in 9 men in 33 at bats. His OPS+ is 193 while his slugging percentage is at .636. The Astros have 89 hits, including 20 doubles and 10 home runs. Houston has walked 42 times so far this season and they have struck out 109 times as a unit. They have left 77 men on base and have a team OPS of .725. They score 4.45 runs per contest and have scored a total of 49 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Minnesota has a 4-4 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 0.87, Kyle Gibson has a 1-0 record and a 1.26 WHIP. He has 9 strikeouts over the 10.1 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 7 hits. He's allowing 6.1 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.03. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.08 and they have given up 22 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .210 against the Twins bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 31 batters and walked 17 opposing hitters. As a team, Minnesota allows 6.4 hits per nine innings while striking out 9.3 batters per nine innings. They are 10th in the league in team earned run average at 3.38. The Twins pitchers as a team have surrendered 51 base knocks and 27 earned runs this season. They have given up 6 home runs this year, which ranks 25th in Major League Baseball. Minnesota as a staff has walked 39 hitters and struck out 74 batters. They give up a walk 4.9 times per 9 innings while they strike out 9.3 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.25 while their FIP as a staff is 3.69.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .236, good for 18th in the league. The Twins hold a .436 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .302, which is good for 21st in baseball. They rank 13th in MLB with 8.3 hits per contest. Max Kepler comes into this matchup batting .269 with an OBP of .387. He has 7 hits this year along with 2 RBI in 26 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .462 with an OPS+ of 141. Brian Dozier is hitting .286 this season and he has an OBP of .342. He has collected 10 hits in 35 at bats while driving in 4 runs. He has an OPS+ of 177 and a slugging percentage of .657. The Twins as a unit have 66 base hits, including 20 doubles and 12 homers. Minnesota has walked 26 times this year and they have struck out on 76 occasions. They have had 55 men left on base and have an OPS of .738. They have scored 4.25 runs per game and totaled 34 runs this season.

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

Josh's Pick: Take the Astros -156

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