If you don’t have a dog in the fight, there is nothing better than watching a title race go all the way down to the wire. While fans of the teams in the battle struggle and stress through every win and loss, the rest of us get to sit back and revel in the fun that is a playoff battle that goes all the way down to the wire. We are certainly in for a real treat in the final few weeks of the MLB regular season, as we have several races that are simply too tight to call at this stage of the season.
The National League Wild Card race is shaping up to be a thriller, while the best divisional race in the American League is taking place in the Central Division. The Minnesota Twins and the Cleveland Guardians are separated by just 2 games, a lead that will potentially change one way or another when these two face off in a 4-game series starting on Thursday night in Minnesota. It is the twins who come into the series opener favored by 1 ½ in their own ballpark, with the run total for this one set at 9.
Indians vs Twins MLB Odds, Game Info & Expert Pick
- When: Thursday, August 8 at 8:10 PM EST
- Where: Target Field, Minnesota
- Starting Pitchers: Clevinger vs. Gibson
- TV: MLB Extra Innings
- Radio: SiriusXM
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
- MLB Odds: Cleveland Indians -110 (Total 9)
Cubs vs Reds MLB Lines & Pick for Thursday Night
Weather Forecast
- Sunny: 24°C/75°F
- Humidity: 38%
- Precipitation: 0%
- Cloud Cover: 1%
- Wind: 11 mph WNW
- Stadium Type: Open
Why bet on the Cleveland Indians?
The Cleveland Indians came into this season as the favorites to once again lift the Central Division title, but they got off to a brutal start, which, when combined with an unexpected start from the Twins, left them in a deep hole. The Indians have slowly but surely turned things around, moving to 68-46 on the season, just 2 games back of Minnesota. We should not forget that the lead in this division was once in double-digits, so this has been a great recovery by Cleveland.
The Indians come into this one on the heels of back to back wins, taking them to 6-4 in their last 10 outings. They are 30-22 SU and ATS on the road this season. Defensively, the Indians have been lights out just 8 runs in their last 6 games. They will have Mile Clevinger (6-2, 3.07 ERA) on the mound for this one.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 4.64
- Hits: 8.33
- Walks: 3.44
- Strike Outs: 8.11
- Runs: 3.99
- Hits: 7.88
- Walks: 2.81
- Strike Outs: 9.39
Why bet on the Minnesota Twins?
This has been a fantastic season for the Twins, but it will all be for naught if they cannot hold on and find their way into the postseason. Given the current state of the American League, though, they still look like a good playoff bet even if the Indians overtake them and win the Central. Minnesota has posted a 70-44 record this season, so they are certainly up there with the best that the MLB has to offer.
It’s all about holding their nerve at this point, and while they would love to win this series, a split would serve them just as well. The Twins are 5-4 versus the Indians this season, but perhaps more importantly, they are a solid 35-23 at home. They will hand the ball to Kyle Gibson (11-4, 4.02 ERA) for this one.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 5.79
- Hits: 9.55
- Walks: 3.16
- Strike Outs: 8.07
- Runs: 4.57
- Hits: 8.73
- Walks: 2.81
- Strike Outs: 8.83
Indians vs Twins MLB Betting Trends
- Indians are 11-2 SU in their last 13 games on the road
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland’s last 6 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
- Twins are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games against an opponent in the American League
- The total has gone OVER in 8 of Minnesota’s last 10 games at home
- Indians are 49-54 against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons
- Twins are 39-15 against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons
- Clevinger is 1-1 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 2.83 and a WHIP of 1.282
- Gibson is 3-9 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 5.34 and a WHIP of 1.607
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Indians vs Twins
We have a fabulous pitching match-up for this game, which I think makes the UNDER look like a very good bet on Thursday night. This should be a tight affair, but I have the Indians just edging it out.
Score: Cleveland Indians 4 – Minnesota Twins 3
