The Twins (69-65, 29-36 away) travel to take on the Rangers (75-58, 42-24 home) in game one of this American League matchup. Joe Ryan is getting the start for the Twins while Max Scherzer is starting for the Rangers. See who I like to pick up the win in today’s Minnesota Twins vs. Texas Rangers showdown at Globe Life Field.

MINNESOTA TWINS VS TEXAS RANGERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Texas Rangers -155

This game will be played at Globe Life Field at 8:05 ET on Friday, September 1st.

WHY BET THE TEXAS RANGERS:

  • The Rangers are 3-2 straight-up in their five most recent games as the favorite.
  • Texas is taking on the Twins at the right time, as the Twins have dropped two straight games.
  • Joe Ryan has given up five home runs across his last two starts.

MINNESOTA TWINS LOOKING FOR UPSET AS ROAD UNDERDOGS

This season, the Twins have played a total of 42 series and are above .500 at 20-17-5. On the road, Minnesota is 29-36 and 40-29 at home. Their overall record of 69-65 has the Twins sitting 1st in the AL Central.

Joe Ryan has a 9-8 record and 4.33 ERA heading into the game. On the road, he has an ERA of 6.17 and 3-4 record in 11 appearances, while at home he is 6-4 with a 4.21 ERA. His season-long WHIP is 1.15, with opponents batting .242 against him and slugging .439.

Joe Ryan’s latest outing saw him take the mound for five innings, but the Twins were unable to come away with a victory, falling 6-2 to the Rangers. Despite not earning a decision, Ryan was solid on the hill, giving up just one run on five hits.

The Twins have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 7 home runs over their last five games. Compared to other clubs, this is 7th best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 6th in home runs and 11th in slugging percentage. Overall, Minnesota is averaging 4.5 runs per game (15th).

The Minnesota Twins have seen Royce Lewis take the lead in home runs over their last five games, with three long balls. His season total is now at nine, and he’s also batting .307.

WILL THE TEXAS RANGERS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Texas enters today’s matchup with an overall record of 75-58, placing them 3rd in the AL West. The club has played in 42 series so far, and has a record of 24-16-2, including dropping each of their past three sets. The Rangers are 42-24 at home and 33-34 and 42-24 at home.

Max Scherzer is set to take the mound for Texas with a 12-5 record. The veteran pitcher has made 24 appearances this season, boasting an ERA of 3.71 and a K/9 rate of 10.47. His FIP stands at 4.24, while his OBP is .279.

Max Scherzer was unable to secure a victory in his last outing, as the Rangers emerged victorious over the Twins by a score of 6-2. Despite not factoring into the decision, Scherzer had a quality start, surrendering two runs on four hits over seven innings of work.

Having gone deep 6 times in their last five games, the Rangers are 8th in that span. At 5.5 runs per game, Texas is 3rd in the league. This figure has come on a team batting average of .268 while hitting a total of 184 home runs (7th).

Corey Seager has been a major offensive contributor for the Texas Rangers this season, boasting a .346 batting average and slugging .651. Over the team’s last ten games, he has been on fire, leading the Rangers in hits and hitting at an impressive .369 clip.