Red Sox vs Twins Betting Odds: Boston Looks to Stay Hot After Sweeping Yanks

After sweeping a doubleheader from rival New York at Fenway Park, the Boston Red Sox find themselves back on the right side of .500 at 37-35. While that still leaves Boston last place in the American League East, 12.5 games back of Tampa Bay, there’s optimism in Beantown. The Red Sox are back in the Wild Card hunt and riding a wave of momentum.

Will the good vibes last? Next up for Boston is a four-game set against the AL Central-leading Twins, starting Monday at Target Field. Minnesota is a -160 moneyline favorite to win the series, with Boston priced at +130. But the Red Sox have won four straight.

Let’s take a closer look at the Red Sox vs Twins betting odds in our series preview.

Houck Sidelined

Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck landed on the 15-day Injured List on Sunday, two days after he was struck in the head by a line drive during his start against the Yankees. Houck suffered a facial fracture, and according to manager Alex Cora, there is no timetable for his return.

Houck — who was in line to start Thursday’s getaway game — is 3-6 with a 5.05 ERA in 13 appearances. He owns 64 strikeouts in 67.2 innings.

The 26-year-old right-hander suffered the injury in the fifth inning of Friday’s 15-5 win when catcher Kyle Higashioka hit a comebacker that struck Houck. Houck fell down immediately and was bleeding from his face. He eventually left the field under his own power.

The Red Sox have yet to name a starter to replace Houck. At the moment, Nick Pivetta and Corey Kluber seem like the most logical candidates. Both were demoted to the bullpen last month due to poor performance. Keep that in mind as you assess the Red Sox vs Twins betting odds.

Twins Clinging to First

Minnesota’s had a relatively underwhelming start. Despite being just 36-36, the Twins are sitting in first place in the AL Central, 2.5 games up on Cleveland. The Twins are currently the only team in the division with a positive run differential (plus-34), which bodes well for their chances of maintaining their lead.

Oddsmakers remain bullish on the Twins, listing them as a -225 favorite to win the division. The Guardians have the next-best odds at +225, followed by the White Sox at +1000.

Pitching has been a strength. The Twins rank third in ERA (3.61) and fourth in strikeouts (678), per MLB team stats. They’ve also logged the third-most quality starts in baseball with 34, trailing only Seattle (36) and Houston (35).

Right-handers Joe Ryan, Sonny Gray, and Pablo Lopez have been formidable atop the rotation, along with Bailey Ober. The back end of the bullpen’s quite strong too, headlined by flamethrowing closer Jhoan Duran.

The Twins are expected to soon get back veteran Kenta Maeda. The 35-year-old from Japan threw 4.1 innings for Triple-A St. Paul on Friday, his fourth rehab start since landing on the IL in April with a right triceps strain.

Game 1

• Pablo Lopez vs James Paxton (Monday, 7:40 p.m. ET)

Lopez, acquired in an offseason trade for National League batting champion Luis Arraez, is 3-3 with a 4.27 ERA. The 27-year-old right-hander’s strikeout rate is 10.78 K/9, the highest of his career. He opposes Paxton, who’s recorded a 3.09 ERA in six starts since coming off the Injured List in May.

Minnesota is -1.5 (+160) on the run line and a -127 favorite to win outright, with Boston priced at +117. The projected total is 8, per Red Sox vs Twins betting odds.

Game 2

• Bailey Ober vs Kutter Crawford (Tuesday, 7:40 p.m. ET)

The 6-foot-9 Ober has been a steady hand in Minnesota’s rotation, logging a 2.65 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 10 starts. He faces Crawford, who rejoined Boston’s rotation in June and has a 4.20 ERA across 13 appearances (five starts).

Game 3

• Sonny Gray vs Garrett Whitlock (Wednesday, 7:40 p.m. ET)

Gray owns the third-lowest ERA in baseball at 2.37 and is a +2000 pick to win AL Cy Young. However, he’s coming off his shortest outing of the season, a four-inning stint against Detroit in which he walked four and allowed two runs. He faces Whitlock, who is 4-2 with a 4.38 ERA.

Game 4

• Joe Ryan vs TBD (Thursday, 1:10 p.m. ET)

A +1400 pick to win AL Cy Young, Ryan is 7-4 with a 3.30 ERA. He’s struck out 91 batters in 84.2 innings and owns the second-lowest WHIP (0.97) in baseball behind Baltimore‘s Tyler Wells (0.86). Boston has yet to name a starter for the series finale.

For MLB odds, betting news, analysis and more, visit pointspreads.com

For MLB betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

Can’t get enough? Here’s more!

• Padres vs Giants Preview: Surging San Francisco Has Won 7 Straight
• D’Backs vs Brewers Preview: Series Starts With Solid Pitching Matchup
• Mets vs Astros Betting Preview: Can Struggling Aces Get In the Groove?
• Cubs vs Pirates Odds: Chicago Likely Favorites Each Game in Series
• Blue Jays vs Marlins Series Preview: Can Jays Stop Marlins’ Roll?