Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA

Miami Marlins vs Minnesota Twins: A must-win series for the Twins

The Miami Marlins are visiting the Minnesota Twins today at Target Field.

Another disappointing season for the Marlins

The Miami Marlins are at the bottom of the NL East with a 57-99 record, including 29-49 at home 27-48 on the road. They have lost 4 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 5-4 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Miami has a 4.86 ERA, a .256 batting average, a .332 on-base percentage, and 1.39 walks plus hits per inning pitched. Jake Burger is the best player on the team, with 125 hits, 64 runs, and 28 home runs for the season.

The Twins are under pressure

The Minnesota Twins are third in the AL Central with a 81-75 record, including 42-33 at home. They have lost 4 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 9-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox. Minnesota has a 4.22 ERA, a .236 batting average, a .299 on-base percentage, and 1.21 walks plus hits per inning pitched. Willi Castro leads the Twins with 134 hits and 87 runs so far in the season while Carlos Santana is on top with 22 home runs.

Betting Trends

The Twins are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games overall. They have played over the total run line in 8 of their last 12 games overall, their last 5 home games, 6 of their last 9 games against the Marlins and 4 of their last 5 home games against them. The Marlins are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games overall, and 1-6 SU in their last 7 games on the road. Miami has played over the total run line in their last 5 games against teams from the AL.

Prediction and Conclusion

The Minnesota Twins had a promising first half of the season, but things have not been so good in the second one. Going into the last two series of the regular season, the Twins have 51.3% of a chance to make it to the playoffs and have to win the majority, if not all, of the games left on the schedule. The good news for them is that they are hosting the Miami Marlins, one of the worst teams in the league. Minnesota will go with Bailey Ober on the mound today, who is 12-7 for the season with a 3.84 ERA, 170 K, 168.2 IP, and 0.97 WHIP. The Marlins will start Ryan Weathers, who is 3-6 for the season with a 3.94 ERA, 72 K, 75.1 IP, and 1.18 WHIP. The Twins are with their back against the wall, so they will set the tone for the series and cover the -1.5-run spread today.