Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA

Minnesota Twins vs Texas Rangers: Is it too late for the defending champs?

The Minnesota Twins are visiting the Texas Rangers today at Globe Life Field.

Can the Twins reach the top of the division?

The Minnesota Twins are second in the AL Central with a 69-53 record, including 33-29 on the road, and are three games behind the leading Cleveland Guardians. The Twins have won four of the last five games including the first two of the series against the Rangers. Minnesota has a 4.10 ERA, a .230 batting average, a .292 on-base percentage, and 1.17 walks plus hits per inning pitched. Willi Castro leads the Twins with 112 hits and 70 runs so far in the season while Ryan Jeffers is on top with 18 home runs.

The Rangers are terrible lately

The Texas Rangers are third in the AL West with a 56-67 record, including 31-29 at home. They have lost 8 of the last 10 games. Texas has a 4.37 ERA, a .238 batting average, a .316 on-base percentage, and 1.30 walks plus hits per inning pitched. Marcus Semien leads the team with 119 hits and 77 runs while Corey Seager is on top with 26 home runs.

Betting Trends

The Rangers are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games overall, 3-12 SU in their last 15 games against the Twins, and 1-4 SU in their last 5 games against teams from the AL. Texas has played under the total run line in 4 of their last 5 games against Minnesota, in 4 of their last 5 home games, and 7 of their last 8 games against teams from the AL Central while they have gone over in 14 of their last 20 games overall. The Twins are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games overall, 4-1 SU in their last 5 games against the Twins, 4-2 SU in their last 6 games on the road, and 5-1 SU in their last 6 games against teams from the AL West. Minnesota has played under the total run line in 6 of their last 9 games against teams from the AL West and in 13 of their last 20 games as underdogs.

Prediction and Conclusion

The Minnesota Twins have been solid all season long, which cannot be said about the defending champions, the Texas Rangers. The Twins are only three games behind the top spot in the division, and with the way they have been playing lately, they can be there in the upcoming week. The Twins won the first two games of the series against the Rangers, 4-3 and 3-2, and will try to extend the winning streak with David Festa on the mound. The rookie is 2-2 for the season with a 5.20 ERA, 33 K, 27.2 IP, and 1.34 WHIP. The Rangers will try to bounce back with veteran Nathan Eovaldi on the mound, who is 8-6 for the season with a 3.75 ERA, 117 K, 120 IP, and 1.10 WHIP. The Rangers are in a deep hole at the moment, but Eovaldi is someone who can get them out of it, so we go with the Rangers winning today.