Pirates vs Twins Betting Odds: Lopez Aims to Boost Twins Against Pirates
Twins Can Move 10 Games Over .500 At Home This Season With Win in Series Opener
Minnesota Twins Look To Build on AL Central Lead
The Minnesota Twins have built their lead in the American League Central Division to 4.5 games, and when it comes to the Pirates vs Twins betting odds, Minnesota could have a chance to add to the lead against the struggling Pirates.
The teams haven’t met since early in the 2021 season when the Pirates won two of the three games in Minnesota and held the Twins to a combined total of six runs, with none of those contests finishing over the total.
Minnesota will turn to Pablo Lopez and Sonny Gray in the series’ first two games.
Minnesota is 9-6 in August compared to the Pirates being just 7-9 during the month.
The Twins (+3300) are tied for fifth among American League teams in the odds to win the World Series, with the Pirates tied for the longest odds when it comes to winning the World Series.
Pirates vs Twins 
Day/Time:
Location: Target Field, Minneapolis, MN
Division: AT&T Pittsburgh, Bally Sports Northwest
Probable Starting Pitchers
- Friday: Andre Jackson (Pirates); Pablo Lopez (Twins)
- Saturday: Mitch Keller (Pirates); Sonny Gray (Twins)
- Sunday: Osvaldo Bido (Pirates); Dallas Keuchel (Twins)
Struggling to Pitch In
The Pirates’ pitching has not been a strength all season, but it has taken a turn for the worst as Pittsburgh is 24th in the majors with a 5.30 ERA in August. Keep that in mind when looking at the Pirates vs Twins betting odds.
The 21 home runs allowed and National League-leading 10-hit batters haven’t helped. Another problem is that closer David Bednar has been one of the sure things when it comes to the pitching staff, and he hasn’t had many chances to close with the way the Pirates have been falling behind.
Welcome Back
The Twins are happy to see infielder Royce Lewis back in the lineup.
Lewis is 4-for-7 with a double, two RBIs, a stolen base, and a run scored in his first two games back.
Lewis has played in just 28 games this season. He is batting .343 with four home runs and 17 RBIs this season, and having him back in the lineup could factor into the Pirates vs Twins betting odds.
The Twins are just 14-14 when Lewis is in the lineup, but having him back could change that.
Who’s Hot
- Joey Gallo, Minnesota Twins OF: Gallo is hitting .313 with two home runs and four RBIs in the last six games.
- Ke’Bryan Hayes, Pittsburgh Pirates 3B: Hayes is 15-36 with six extra-base hits and 11 RBIs over his last nine games.
- Pablo Lopez, Minnesota Twins P: Lopez has allowed 13 hits and one run with 20 strikeouts over 19 innings in his last three starts.
- Angel Perdomo, Pittsburgh Pirates P: Perdomo has allowed five hits and two runs with 13 strikeouts over 7.2 innings in his eight appearances.
Who’s Not
- Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates OF: McCutchen is 0-for-12 with five strikeouts over his last four games.
- Colin Selby, Pittsburgh Pirates P: Selby has surrendered seven hits and six runs with four strikeouts in 3.1 innings over his last three games.
- Michael Taylor, Minnesota Twins OF: Taylor is 3-for-25 with no extra-base hits and 11 strikeouts in his last seven games.
- Josh Winder, Minnesota Twins P: Winder has surrendered nine hits and seven runs in five innings during his last three outings.
Pirates vs Twins Injury Update
Outfielder Joshua Palacios is day-to-day for the Pirates.
For the Twins, shortstop Carlos Correa is questionable for the series opener, while first baseman Alex Kiriloff and Jose Miranda are on the MLB injured list.
Pirates vs Twins Betting Preview
A quick look at the pitching matchups makes it hard to have much confidence in the Pirates heading into the series. The Game 2 matchup between Mitch Keller of the Pirates and Minnesota’s Sonny Gray could be intriguing. Since the MLB All-Star Game, Gray is 2-2 with a 3.44 ERA. Keller has struggled with an 0-4 record and a 7.71 ERA over his last six starts.
The Twins are 36-28 against teams with losing records this season, with the Pirates 28-49 against teams over .500. When looking at the MLB National League standings, the Pirates are 11 games out of first place in the NL Central.
Watch out for the Pirates if the games are tight heading into the late innings, as the Pirates are 15-13 in one-run games compared to a 16-19 mark for the Twins in those contests.
Some numbers to look at when it comes to baseball betting trends, Minnesota is 48-34 when listed as the favorite this season, while Pittsburgh is 39-56 as the underdog.
It is worth remembering that Pittsburgh has covered in 31 of its 60 road games during this baseball season, while the Twins are among the worst teams at covering against the spread at home, going 26-33 ATS on home.
For MLB betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
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