Minnesota heads into Wednesday’s interleague matchup vs. the Diamondbacks looking for a win that would move them into first place in the AL Central, as they are currently 43-36. Arizona, on the other hand, is looking to move above .500 for the season, as they are 39-40, and they are 3rd in the NL West. The money line odds have the Twins at -119 compared to the Diamondbacks at +101, and the over/under line is at 9 runs.
First pitch from Chase Field is set for 9:40 PM ET, and the forecast for the game is clear. Simeon Woods Richardson is starting for the Twins, while the Diamondbacks are going with Ryne Nelson.
Twins Seek to Close Gap in AL Central as Woods Richardson Takes the Mound Against Diamondbacks
Minnesota is 2nd in the AL Central, trailing the Guardians by nine games. They are 15-11 in division matchups and 43-36 overall. The Twins are 23-16 at home and 20-20 on the road. As the favorite, they are 34-20, and they are 9-16 as the underdog. Their series record is 14-9-2. They are 6-4 over their last 10 games. The Twins are on the road today against the Diamondbacks, and the over/under line is set at 9 runs. Minnesota has an over/under record of 37-40 this season, with the average line for their games being set at 8 runs.
Right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson gets the start for the Twins today, and he is 2-1 with a 3.26 ERA this season. The Twins’ offense is 9th in scoring at 4.7 runs per game, and they are 5th in homers with 94. Their team batting average is .246, which is 11th, and they strike out 8 times per game, which is 11th. Their OPS is 7th. Byron Buxton is on a 5-game hitting streak, and Willi Castro and Ryan Jeffers have 8 and 6-game hitting streaks, respectively.
Diamondbacks on the Rise: Arizona’s Home Streak and Offensive Surge Fuel Playoff Hopes
Arizona is 39-40 overall, and they trail the Dodgers by 10 games in the NL West. Currently, they are 3rd in the division, sitting 1.5 games behind the Padres for the 2nd spot in the NL West. The Diamondbacks are on a two-game winning streak at home, and they are 20-18 at home this year. This season, the Diamondbacks are 20-16 as the favorite, and they are 19-24 as the underdog. Arizona has an overall series record of 10-12-3 this year, and they are winning their current series vs. the Twins. The Diamondbacks have gone 6-4 across their last 10 games.
Ryne Nelson is coming off a strong outing for the Diamondbacks, as he picked up the win vs. the Nationals on June 20th. In that start, he went seven innings, giving up just two earned runs. Looking back further, Nelson has made 12 starts and is 5-5 with an ERA of 5.18. Opponents are batting .300 off the right-hander this season. Nelson has made four quality starts this year and has a BB/9 figure of 2.52 compared to 6.02 strikeouts per nine innings. At home, his ERA is 7.34. The Arizona Diamondbacks have been a solid offensive team this season, averaging 4.7 runs per game, which ranks 7th in the league. Their batting average of .251 is 8th in the league, and their OBP of .321 is 6th. Christian Walker and Ketel Marte have been the top hitters for the Diamondbacks this season. Walker is hitting .252 with 17 home runs and 50 RBI, while Marte is hitting .280 with 16 home runs and 46 RBI. In their last 10 games, Joc Pederson has been hot, hitting .308 with 2 home runs and 6 RBI. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has also been swinging a hot bat, hitting .353 over his last 9 games.
Diamondbacks Offer Great Value in Predicted 6-5 Win Over Twins
With the Diamondbacks at +101 on the money line, we see this as a great value pick for today’s Twins vs. Diamondbacks matchup. Our predicted final score is 6-5 in favor of the Diamondbacks, giving us a lot of value with the Diamondbacks on the money line.
Looking at today’s starters, we have Ryne Nelson finishing with five strikeouts compared to Simeon Woods Richardson with four. Nelson is also projected to finish with more earned runs than Richardson. If you’re looking for a parlay option, you could look to take the over, as our predicted total is nine runs.
