At 7:40 p.m. EST this evening, the Chicago Cubs travel to the Land of 1000 Lakes to kick off a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins. While the Cubs are once again surging after a brief skid, the Twins are experiencing some struggles of their own at the moment and look to fend off a top-tier contender at Target Field over the next three days.
Here’s a Twins vs. Cubs prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for Tuesday’s contest.
Twins vs. Cubs prediction, preview
Minnesota Twins
The Twins are a tough team to get a read on this year in that the highs are very high but their lows test the strength of even the most dedicated fans. The team sits 43-47 on the campaign and despite going 18-8 in May, they’re just 12-21 with only two series wins since June 1. As the trade deadline approaches, could they become a seller? The question feels fair to ask.
Minnesota ranks 23rd in AVG and 21st in both OPS and runs this season as the offense continues to falter more often than not. The lineup is actually fairly healthy as Byron Buxton and Willi Castro enjoy excellent seasons thus far, but the team clearly needs more firepower to really contend. That rings especially true with the starting rotation currently banged up, though the season-long results at 21st in ERA and 15th in WHIP aren’t the most encouraging themselves.
Granted, the Twins did win two of three against the Rays in their last series. It’s more likely that’s just a blip rather than a sign of things to come, though.
Chicago Cubs
On the other hand, the Cubs haven’t struggled much at all this season as they sit atop the NL Central at 54-36 with a 3.5-game lead over second place. They’re 7-3 across their last 10 games and emerged with a win in five of their last six contests, so momentum remains on the side of the visitors here.
The Cubbies’ offense sits second in runs this season by a 25-run margin and they trail the league-leading Dodgers by just nine trips across home plate. At fifth in AVG and third in both OPS and home runs, the fireworks Chicago produces are undeniable. They’re sending a pair of outfielders to the All-Star Game in Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong, but naming all the top contributors to this lineup would probably run me over my word count. As for the stable of arms, the Cubs rank eighth in WHIP and 13th in ERA as they’ve made some strides over the course of the campaign.
They’re already a top contender to challenge the Dodgers for a shot at a World Series appearance, but if Chicago adds a tad more talent to the pitching staff at the deadline, they really may have a chance to go all the way.
Twins vs. Cubs pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Cubs as -136 favorites on the Moneyline tonight. The Twins are +112 underdogs on the Moneyline with the run total set at 9.5.
The home team sends Simeon Woods Richardson to the mound this evening as the 24-year-old righty takes on a fearsome lineup. He’s thrown 63.1 innings this year with a 4.41 ERA and 1.34 WHIP along with 55 strikeouts, though he played well in his last two starts with just two hits allowed in each.
Meanwhile, the visitors trot out Shota Imanaga, a lefty with some fantastic numbers to his name through his first 10 starts. In 55.0 innings of work, the Cubs’ starter boasts a 2.78 ERA along with a 1.00 WHIP while striking out 41 batters. He’s coming off a relatively poor outing in which he gave up four hits and three earned runs to the Guardians, but Imanaga delivered five scoreless innings with just one hit in his prior showing against the Cardinals.
As much as we love an underdog sometimes, the Twins are just so outmatched in this evening’s contest. Their offense already struggles enough, but given the difference in pitcher quality it makes a lot of sense to take the Cubs to win by multiple runs here. I’m very comfortable taking Chicago -1.5 at +118 odds and would also consider targeting an alt run line even further in the Cubs’ favor for a higher payout.
Best bet: CHI Cubs -1.5 (+118)
Click the odds on this bet to tail!
