Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA

Minnesota Twins vs Cleveland Guardians: Both teams are getting ready for the playoffs

The Minnesota Twins are visiting the Cleveland Guardians tonight in the series opener at Progressive Field.

The Twins are at .500 on the road

The Minnesota Twins are third in the AL Central with a 79-70 record, including 37-37 on the road. They have won 3 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 9-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Minnesota has a 4.22 ERA, a .235 batting average, a .297 on-base percentage, and 1.20 walks plus hits per inning pitched. Willi Castro leads the Twins with 128 hits and 82 runs so far in the season while Carlos Santana is on top with 22 home runs.

The Guardians are the best home team in the AL

The Cleveland Guardians are on top of the AL Central with an 86-64 record, including 45-27 at home. They have won 5 of the last 7 games and are coming off a 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Guardians have a 3.71 ERA, a .229 batting average, a .300 on-base percentage, and 1.20 walks plus hits per inning pitched. Jose Ramirez is the best player on the team with 157 hits, 106 runs and 35 home runs.

Betting Trends

The Twins are 4-6 SU in their last 10 games overall and 1-3 SU in their last 4 games on the road. Minnesota has played over the total run line in their last 5 games overall and has stayed under in their last 3 games on the road. The Guardians are 6-4 SU in their last 10 games overall and 2-2 SU in their last 4 home games. Cleveland has played under the total run line in 8 of their last 10 games overall and in their last 4 home games. Cleveland has won 8 of the last 10 games against Minnesota and 7 of their last 10 head-to-head games have ended under the total run line.

Prediction and Conclusion

Both teams have a promising season and are almost certain participants in the playoffs. The Guardians have a 6.5-game advantage over the Twins, but things may heat up if Minnesota can win this series. The visitors will start Pablo Lopez at the mound today, who is 15-8 for the season with a 3.88 ERA, 183 K, 169.1 IP, and 1.13 WHIP. The Guardians will go with Matthew Boyd, who is 2-1 for the season with a 2.18 ERA, 35 K, 33 IP, and 0.99 WHIP. The Guardians have won 8 of the last 10 games against the Twins, but with Lopez, Minnesota has a legit chance in this game, so we go with the Twins to cover the +1.5-run spread.