On Tuesday evening, the Minnesota Twins once again host the Boston Red Sox at Target Field for the second matchup of this three-game set. With Twins rookie Pierson Ohl expected to make his major-league debut against Lucas Giolito, there’s some intrigue around this outing.
Here’s a Twins vs. Red Sox prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for Tuesday’s game.
Twins vs. Red Sox prediction, preview
Last night’s contest which kicked off this series included a 90-minute rain delay and some late night action, but fans who stayed were rewarded with a 5-4 Minnesota victory as the home team walked things off in the bottom of the ninth inning. A two-run single by Brooks Lee won it for the Twins as the team moved to 51-55, though they’re 4-6 since the ALl-Star Game and still working to claw their way out of fourth place in the AL Central.
The injury to star outfielder Byron Buxton does complicate matters for Minnesota, so they’re understandably underdogs heading into this matchup. Of course, the 57-51 Red Sox would likely have been favored even with Buxton healthy, but Boston themselves sit just 4-6 since the All-Star break as well. They did tally 10 hits last night as rookie Roman Anthony put on a clinic, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and two walks, along with multi-hit efforts by Alex Bregman and Wilyer Abreu. The Red Sox offense generally looks far better this year than the Twins’, so Minnesota’s pitcher may have their work cut out for them tonight, whoever it may be.
As things currently stand, it seems right-hander Pierson Ohl will likely make his MLB debut for Minnesota after getting the big-league call-up following the trade that sent Chris Paddack to the Tampa Bay Rays. Ohl posted a 2.17 ERA and 0.95 WHIP with 79 strikeouts over 66.1 innings in the minor-leagues this season — at the Triple-A level, he logged a 2.82 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 23 strikeouts over 22.1 innings of work.
Ohl faces veteran righty Lucas Giolito tonight, who’s thrown 81.2 innings this season with a 3.97 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 72 strikeouts. Giolito did get shelled over his last two starts since the All-Star period with four and five earned runs, so he doesn’t bring the best form into this one.
Twins vs. Red Sox pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Red Sox as -121 favorites on the Moneyline despite playing on the road. The Twins come in at -101 to win outright, so there’s not a massive gap in the odds tonight. The run total sits at nine for this contest.
Personally, I do believe Boston’s offense comes out swinging in this one. Ohl’s numbers in the MiLB look really good, but I typically don’t feel comfortable backing a young pitcher making his MLB debut when it comes to betting markets. I think the 25-year-old may take some time to settle in against a lineup with plenty of hitting talent. The run line looks like some solid value for this contest with the Red Sox coming in with +134 odds at -1.5. I think they should handle business in this one against the rookie starter, so I’m taking advantage of the plus-money odds.
Best bet: BOS Red Sox -1.5 (+134)
Click the odds on this bet to tail!
