Twins vs Reds Game Preview: Cincinnati Tied For Final Wild Card Berth
Minnesota Still Holds 7-Game Lead in AL Central

When the Major League Baseball owners voted in wild card teams, it was done to make more meaningful games at the end of the MLB season. Baseball purists may not like it, but there’s no denying it’s working. Both leagues are having wild card races coming down to the wire. In the National League, six MLB teams are battling for one of three playoff spots, including Cincinnati. On Monday, the Reds moved into a tie for the final wild-card spot with a 7-3 win over Minnesota. Tuesday’s Twins vs Reds game preview shows Kenta Maeda and Fernando Cruz as the scheduled starters for Game 2.
The Twins are -126, and the total on the game is 9.5-over (-125). Maeda is 5-7 with a 4.50 ERA and the Twins are 9-10 when he starts. On the road, Minnesota is just 4-7 when Maeda starts. But much of that is due to an offense that only scores 3.91 runs per game on the road when Maeda starts. The Twins have lost 1-0, 2-1 and a pair of 3-0 baseball games. So, you can’t fault Maeda for that.
Cruz is 1-1 with a 4.05 ERA for the Reds. This is only the second game he’s started all season. He’s appeared in 52 games in relief. He went 1 1/3 innings in his lone start this year and hasn’t pitched more than two innings all season. So it’s basically a bullpen game for the Reds.
The current MLB standings have Minnesota at 79-72. The Twins hold a 7.0-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians with 11 games remaining. Minnesota has the lowest winning percentage of any division leader.
The Reds moved to 79-73 on Monday. The Phillies hold a 4.0-game lead in the wild-card race, with the Cubs, Reds, Arizona, Miami and Giants all within 2.0 games of the wild card spots.
Reds Tough After Winning
The Twins vs Reds game preview shows Cincinnati has posted a 44-34 record after a victory. But most of those wins have occurred on the road. The Reds are just 18-17 at home after a win.
The Twins are 38-33 after a loss and 18-18 on the road after being dealt a setback. Minnesota is 31-32 after scoring three runs or less, while the Reds are 29-28 after scoring six runs or more.
The Cincinnati bullpen has been at its best when pitching a home, sporting a 3.48 ERA. With Cruz on the mound, there will be plenty of innings notched by the relief pitchers. Minnesota’s bullpen isn’t bad, sporting a 4.07 ERA on the road.
The MLB predictions have the Twins winning by .35 runs, which would have them closer to a -120 favorite, so there’s the slightest bit of value on Cincinnati.
The Twins vs Reds game preview notes this is only the sixth game all season the Twins have played to a total higher than 9.0. Monday’s game was the fifth time, and it took a meaningless run in the ninth inning to send the game over the total. This time, runs should be a little harder to come by, so take the game under 9.5.
For MLB betting news, Twins vs Reds odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
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