Minnesota Twins at St. Louis Cardinals 5/8/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Busch Stadium

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Jake Odorizzi vs. Carlos Martinez

The Minnesota Twins head to Busch Stadium on Tuesday, May 8, 2018 to take on the St. Louis Cardinals. The expected starting pitchers are Jake Odorizzi for the Twins and Carlos Martinez for the Cardinals.

The odds for this matchup have Minnesota at +178 and St. Louis at -190. The Twins have a 17-13-0 over/under mark and a 17-13-0 run line record. The Cardinals are 15-17-0 against the run line and have a 13-16-3 over/under record.

Valuable Minnesota Twins Betting Trends

The Minnesota Twins are 17-13-0 against the over/under

The Minnesota Twins are 17-13-0 against the run line

Important St. Louis Cardinals Betting Trends

The St. Louis Cardinals are 13-16-3 against the over/under

The St. Louis Cardinals are 15-17-0 against the run line

Key Minnesota Twins Injuries

05/06/18 P Ervin Santana Finger 60-day DL (03/29)
05/05/18 C Jason Castro Knee 10-day DL (05/05)
05/01/18 3B Miguel Sano Hamstring 10-day DL (04/28)
04/18/18 CF Byron Buxton Migraine 10-day DL (04/15)
03/28/18 SS Jorge Polanco Suspension 80-game suspension (eligible to return 06/30 vs Chicago Cubs)
03/26/18 P Michael Pineda Elbow 60-day DL (03/26)
03/26/18 P Trevor May Elbow 60-day DL (03/26)

Key St. Louis Cardinals Injuries

05/07/18 P Dominic Leone Arm 10-day DL (05/07)
05/07/18 CF Tommy Pham Hip is "?" Monday vs Minnesota Twins
05/06/18 C Yadier Molina Groin 10-day DL (05/06)
04/23/18 P Adam Wainwright Elbow 10-day DL (04/20)
03/31/18 P Alex Reyes Elbow 60-day DL (03/31)
03/31/18 P Brett Cecil Shoulder 10-day DL (03/31)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Twins have a 13-17 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi has a 2-2 record with an earned run average of 4.10 and a WHIP of 1.39 this year. He has 35 strikeouts over his 37.1 innings pitched and he's given up 34 hits. He allows 8.2 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 5.51. The bullpen has an earned run average of 5.56 and they have given up 128 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .276 against the bullpen and they've struck out 123 hitters and walked 49 batters. As a team, Minnesota allows 9 hits per nine innings while striking out 9.4 batters per nine innings. They are 26th in the league in team earned run average at 4.96. The Twins pitchers collectively have given up 272 base hits and 150 earned runs. They have allowed 44 home runs this season, ranking them 8th in the league. Minnesota as a pitching staff has walked 123 batters and struck out 283. They have walked 4.1 men per 9 innings while striking out 9.4 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.45 and their FIP as a unit is 4.65.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Minnesota is hitting .241, good for 16th in the league. The Twins hold a .414 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .316, which is good for 17th in baseball. They rank 15th in MLB with 8.5 hits per game. Max Kepler is hitting .269 with an on-base percentage of .347. He has 29 hits this season in 108 at bats with 12 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .481 and an OPS+ of 127. Joe Mauer is hitting .291 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .434. He has totaled 30 hits and he has driven in 8 men in 103 at bats. His OPS+ is 132 while his slugging percentage is at .388. The Twins have 254 hits, including 68 doubles and 36 home runs. Minnesota has walked 113 times so far this season and they have struck out 266 times as a unit. They have left 226 men on base and have a team OPS of .729. They score 4.33 runs per contest and have scored a total of 130 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

St. Louis has a 20-12 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 1.40, Carlos Martinez has a 3-1 record and a 1.04 WHIP this season. He has 45 strikeouts over the 45 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 28 hits. He allows 5.6 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.24. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.38 and they have given up 106 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .241 against the Cardinals bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 104 batters and walked 49 opposing hitters. As a team, St. Louis allows 8.1 hits per nine innings while striking out 8 batters per nine innings. They are 3rd in the league in team earned run average at 3.26. The Cardinals pitchers as a team have surrendered 268 base knocks and 108 earned runs this season. They have given up 26 home runs this year, which ranks 29th in Major League Baseball. St. Louis as a staff has walked 116 hitters and struck out 266 batters. They give up a walk 3.5 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.29 while their FIP as a staff is 3.87.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .234, good for 22nd in the league. The Cardinals hold a .393 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .322, which is good for 13th in baseball. They rank 21st in MLB with 7.9 hits per contest. Jose Martinez comes into this matchup batting .286 with an OBP of .358. He has 34 hits this year along with 18 RBI in 119 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .437 with an OPS+ of 121. Tommy Pham is hitting .323 this season and he has an OBP of .442. He has collected 32 hits in 99 at bats while driving in 14 runs. He has an OPS+ of 172 and a slugging percentage of .535. The Cardinals as a unit have 254 base hits, including 47 doubles and 41 homers. St. Louis has walked 129 times this year and they have struck out on 284 occasions. They have had 223 men left on base and have an OPS of .715. They have scored 4.59 runs per game and totaled 147 runs this season.

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

Josh's Pick: Take the Cardinals -190

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