Minnesota Twins at St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview
It’s the third and final game of a three-game series at Busch Stadium between the Minnesota Twins and the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday. The two teams have split the first two games of the series.
The Twins are 55-54 on the season and lead the American League Central. The Twins recently snapped their five-game losing streak but could not extend it on Wednesday. The Cardinals are in last place in the National League Central, with their 48-61 record on the season.
Minnesota is the favorite in this game. The Twins are listed at -155 over the Cardinals. St. Louis is +130 in the game. The total for the game is listed at 9.
Thursday’s Pitching Matchup
Sonny Gray is expected to get the start for the Minnesota Twins. Gray, 33 years old, is making his 21st start of the season. The right-hander is 4-4 on the season, with a 3.22 earned run average. Gray is coming off an outing in Kansas City, where he allowed five hits and three runs over six innings.
Matthew Liberatore will get the start for the St. Louis Cardinals. The 23-year-old lefthander will make his 8th start of the season. Liberatore is 1-3 on the season, with a 6.75 earned run average. He has not thrown for the Cardinals since July 5th on the road at the Marlins.
St. Louis Lineup Still Scary
Despite not making the playoffs this season, the Cardinals still have a lineup of guys that can hot. That was shown on Wednesday, as they seven runs in the first three innings, including four home runs.
Tyler O’Neill, Jordan Walker, Lars Nootbaar, and Alec Burleson all went deep. The Cardinals’ offense is in the Top 10 in almost all offensive categories, including their .256 batting average.
Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt still sit as the top two offensive threats for the Cardinals. Goldschmidt is hitting .279 on the season, while Nolan Arenado is at .280. Arenado leads the team with 22 home runs and 78 runs batted in.
Also, the starting pitching was solid in the win on Wednesday, as Dakota Hudson went the first six innings and allowed just a Michael A. Taylor single in the 6th, on just 66 pitches.
Twins Seeking Consistency
The Minnesota Twins are seeking some kind of consistency this season. Since the All-Star Break, the Twins have gone 10-8 but went through a five-game losing streak, where they allowed more than seven runs per game. Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton are the two leads on the offensive side, but Donovan Solano picked up the game-winning RBI in the win on Tuesday.
Following this series, the Twins will go home for a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. After that, the Twins go back out on the road to take on the Tigers and Phillies for a seven-game road trip. After that, Minnesota gets the Tigers again for two and then welcomes the Pirates to town.
Cardinals Take Series at Home
Matthew Liberatore is going to get another chance at the Cardinals’ rotation. St. Louis expects him to remain in the rotation for the rest of the season. The young lefthander has promise, and we expect him to pitch well in this game.
Look for the Cardinals’ offense to get after Sonny Gray in this game and win the game. Bet the St. Louis Cardinals as the underdog in this game. Bet St. Louis +130.
