Houston Astros at Minnesota Twins 4/9/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Monday, April 9, 2018

Target Field

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Justin Verlander vs. Jake Odorizzi

The Houston Astros visit Target Field on Monday, April 9, 2018 to play the Minnesota Twins. The probable starters are Justin Verlander for the Astros and Jake Odorizzi for the Twins.

The opening line for this matchup has Houston at -162 and Minnesota at +152. The Astros have a 3-6-0 over/under record and a 5-4-0 run line mark. The Twins are 6-1-0 against the run line and have a 3-4-0 over/under record.

Valuable Houston Astros Betting Trends

The Houston Astros are 3-6-0 against the over/under

The Houston Astros are 5-4-0 against the run line

Important Minnesota Twins Betting Trends

The Minnesota Twins are 3-4-0 against the over/under

The Minnesota Twins are 6-1-0 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 7-2 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Justin Verlander has a 1-0 record with an earned run average of 2.31 and a WHIP of 1.11 this season. He has 14 strikeouts over his 11.2 innings pitched and he's given up 10 hits. He's allowed 7.7 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.93. The bullpen has an earned run average of 2.57 and they have given up 27 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .245 against the bullpen and they've struck out 31 hitters and walked 6 batters. As a team, Houston allows 7.8 hits per nine innings while striking out 10.8 batters per nine innings. They are 3rd in the league in team earned run average at 2.22. The Astros pitchers collectively have given up 70 base hits and 20 earned runs. They have allowed 7 home runs this season, ranking them 20th in the league. Houston as a pitching staff has walked 23 batters and struck out 97. They have walked 2.6 men per 9 innings while striking out 10.8 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.15 and their FIP as a unit is 2.77.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Houston is hitting .256, good for 8th in the league. The Astros hold a .411 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .342, which is good for 8th in baseball. They rank 15th in MLB with 8.4 hits per game. Jose Altuve is hitting .412 with an on-base percentage of .462. He has 14 hits this season in 34 at bats with 3 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .471 and an OPS+ of 168. Carlos Correa is hitting .346 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .387. He has totaled 9 hits and he has driven in 9 men in 26 at bats. His OPS+ is 200 while his slugging percentage is at .692. The Astros have 76 hits, including 18 doubles and 8 home runs. Houston has walked 38 times so far this season and they have struck out 86 times as a unit. They have left 67 men on base and have a team OPS of .753. They score 4.78 runs per contest and have scored a total of 43 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Minnesota has a 4-3 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 2.61, Jake Odorizzi has a 0-0 record and a 1.16 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 4.04. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.01 and they have given up 18 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .202 against the Twins bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 27 batters and walked 17 opposing hitters. As a team, Minnesota allows 6.3 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.7 batters per nine innings. They are 9th in the league in team earned run average at 3.57. The Twins pitchers as a team have surrendered 44 base knocks and 25 earned runs this season. They have given up 6 home runs this year, which ranks 23rd in Major League Baseball. Minnesota as a staff has walked 35 hitters and struck out 61 batters. They give up a walk 5 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.7 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.25 while their FIP as a staff is 4.04.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .243, good for 16th in the league. The Twins hold a .457 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .311, which is good for 18th in baseball. They rank 11th in MLB with 8.6 hits per contest. Max Kepler comes into this matchup batting .273 with an OBP of .407. He has 6 hits this year along with 2 RBI in 22 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .500 with an OPS+ of 159. Brian Dozier is hitting .290 this season and he has an OBP of .353. He has collected 9 hits in 31 at bats while driving in 4 runs. He has an OPS+ of 195 and a slugging percentage of .710. The Twins as a unit have 60 base hits, including 17 doubles and 12 homers. Minnesota has walked 24 times this year and they have struck out on 66 occasions. They have had 47 men left on base and have an OPS of .769. They have scored 4.86 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 -162

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