Minnesota Twins at Tampa Bay Rays 4/21/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Saturday, April 21, 2018

Tropicana Field

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Kyle Gibson vs. Blake Snell

The Minnesota Twins visit Tropicana Field on Saturday, April 21, 2018 to play the Tampa Bay Rays. The probable starters are Kyle Gibson for the Twins and Blake Snell for the Rays.

The opening line for this matchup has Minnesota at -101 and Tampa Bay at -109. The Twins have a 4-9-0 over/under record and a 10-3-0 run line mark. The Rays are 9-9-0 against the run line and have a 11-7-0 over/under record.

Valuable Minnesota Twins Betting Trends

The Minnesota Twins are 4-9-0 against the over/under

The Minnesota Twins are 10-3-0 against the run line

Important Tampa Bay Rays Betting Trends

The Tampa Bay Rays are 11-7-0 against the over/under

The Tampa Bay Rays are 9-9-0 against the run line

Key Minnesota Twins Injuries

04/18/18 CF Byron Buxton Migraine 10-day DL (04/15)
04/18/18 CF Max Kepler Knee left last game, is "?" Friday vs Tampa Bay Rays
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)

Key Tampa Bay Rays Injuries

04/17/18 CF Kevin Kiermaier Thumb 60-day DL (04/16)
04/17/18 3B Matt Duffy Hamstring 10-day DL (04/17)
04/12/18 1B Brad Miller Groin 10-day DL (04/09)
04/11/18 P Jose De Leon Elbow 60-day DL (03/28)
03/29/18 P Nathan Eovaldi Elbow 10-day DL (03/28)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Twins have a 8-5 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Kyle Gibson has a 1-0 record with an earned run average of 3.68 and a WHIP of 1.64 this season. He has 13 strikeouts over his 14.2 innings pitched and he's given up 14 hits. He's allowed 8.6 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.41. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.16 and they have given up 45 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .231 against the bullpen and they've struck out 48 hitters and walked 22 batters. As a team, Minnesota allows 7.1 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.8 batters per nine innings. They are 5th in the league in team earned run average at 3.05. The Twins pitchers collectively have given up 98 base hits and 42 earned runs. They have allowed 12 home runs this season, ranking them 27th in the league. Minnesota as a pitching staff has walked 54 batters and struck out 121. They have walked 3.9 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.8 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.23 and their FIP as a unit is 3.84.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Minnesota is hitting .232, good for 20th in the league. The Twins hold a .392 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .309, which is good for 19th in baseball. They rank 11th in MLB with 8.4 hits per game. Brian Dozier is hitting .281 with an on-base percentage of .359. He has 16 hits this season in 57 at bats with 7 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .544 and an OPS+ of 148. Joe Mauer is hitting .364 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .500. He has totaled 16 hits and he has driven in 6 men in 44 at bats. His OPS+ is 175 while his slugging percentage is at .477. The Twins have 109 hits, including 28 doubles and 15 home runs. Minnesota has walked 52 times so far this season and they have struck out 131 times as a unit. They have left 105 men on base and have a team OPS of .701. They score 4.15 runs per contest and have scored a total of 54 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Tampa Bay has a 5-13 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 2.95, Blake Snell has a 2-1 record and a 1.08 WHIP. He has 26 strikeouts over the 21.1 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 13 hits. He's allowing 5.5 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.93. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.72 and they have given up 76 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .257 against the Rays bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 68 batters and walked 36 opposing hitters. As a team, Tampa Bay allows 8.6 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.4 batters per nine innings. They are 25th in the league in team earned run average at 4.74. The Rays pitchers as a team have surrendered 153 base knocks and 84 earned runs this season. They have given up 19 home runs this year, which ranks 15th in Major League Baseball. Tampa Bay as a staff has walked 73 hitters and struck out 149 batters. They give up a walk 4.1 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.4 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.42 while their FIP as a staff is 4.32.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .235, good for 18th in the league. The Rays hold a .339 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .311, which is good for 17th in baseball. They rank 21st in MLB with 7.8 hits per contest. Joey Wendle comes into this matchup batting .256 with an OBP of .365. He has 11 hits this year along with 5 RBI in 43 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .442 with an OPS+ of 132. Matt Duffy is hitting .267 this season and he has an OBP of .302. He has collected 16 hits in 60 at bats while driving in 7 runs. He has an OPS+ of 87 and a slugging percentage of .350. The Rays as a unit have 141 base hits, including 23 doubles and 10 homers. Tampa Bay has walked 63 times this year and they have struck out on 158 occasions. They have had 132 men left on base and have an OPS of .651. They have scored 3.44 runs per game and totaled 62 runs this season.

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

Josh's Pick: Take the Rays -109

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 Josh Schonwald