In this AL Central matchup, the Twins (69-64, 40-28 home) play host to the Guardians (63-70, 30-37 away) at Target Field. Taking the mound for the Twins is Sonny Gray, while the Guardians will go with Tanner Bibee. Check out my pick for three of this Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Guardians matchup.

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS VS MINNESOTA TWINS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Minnesota Twins -162

This game will be played at Target Field at 1:10 ET on Wednesday, August 30th.

WHY BET THE MINNESOTA TWINS:

  • In their previous five games, the Twins have a record of 3-2.
  • The Guardians have gone just 4-6 in their last ten games.
  • Opponents are hitting just .195 against Sonny Gray in his last two starts.

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS TRYING TO CLOSE GAP IN AL CENTRAL

133 games into the season, the Guardians have a record of 63-70, putting them 2nd in the AL Central. This mark includes an overall series 17-21-3. At home, they are 33-33 compared to 30-37 on the road.

Tanner Bibee will take the mound for the Guardians with a 10-3 record this season. He’s made 21 appearances so far, and his ERA is 3.01. His K/9 is 8.8, while his FIP and OBP are 3.78 and .290 respectively.

Tanner Bibee secured a victory and a quality start in his last outing, guiding his squad to a 5-2 triumph over the Blue Jays. He yielded two runs and six hits over six frames.

This season, the Guardians are 23rd in the league at 4.1 runs per game. Over their last five games, they have a combined batting average of .238 (15th) leading to 5.6 runs per contest. Overall, they are generating 2.8 walks per game compared to 7 strikeouts. Cleveland’s on-base percentage of .310 has them 17th in the MLB.

Ramón Laureano has been a key contributor to the Cleveland offense this season, boasting a .225 batting average and slugging .379. In the team’s last ten games, he has been on fire at the plate, leading the Indians in hits with a .338 average.

WILL THE MINNESOTA TWINS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

As the Twins head into today’s game vs. the Guardians, they have the top spot in the AL Central with an overall record of 69-64. Currently, their home/away splits sit at 40-28 and 29-36, respectively. Through 41 series, they have gone 20-17-4.

Twins starter Sonny Gray has made 26 appearances this season, going 7-6 with a 3.06 ERA and 9.06 K/9. His FIP stands at 2.86 and opponents are batting .289 against him.

Sonny Gray notched a victory and quality start in his most recent outing, guiding his team to a 12-2 triumph over the Rangers. He yielded one run and six hits over seven innings of work.

The Twins have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 10 home runs over their last five games. Compared to other clubs, this is 2nd best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 5th in home runs and 9th in slugging percentage. Overall, Minnesota is averaging 4.5 runs per game (14th).

Max Kepler is the Twins’ home-run leader in 2023, with 21 long balls and 50 RBIs. His slugging percentage for the season is a solid .493.