The Rangers (72-54, 30-30 away) travel to take on the Twins (65-62, 36-26 home) in game one of this American League matchup. Andrew Heaney is getting the start for the Rangers while Pablo López is starting for the Twins. See who I like to pick up the win in today’s Texas Rangers vs. Minnesota Twins showdown at Target Field.

TEXAS RANGERS VS MINNESOTA TWINS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Texas Rangers +106

This game will be played at Target Field at 7:10 ET on Thursday, August 24th.

WHY BET THE TEXAS RANGERS:

  • The Rangers will be taking on a Twins club that is just 2-3 over their last five games.
  • Coming into the game, the Twins have gone just 2-3 in their last five home games.
  • Andrew Heaney has done a good job at avoiding the long-ball of late, having not given up a home-run in each of his past three starts.

TEXAS RANGERS LOOKING TO EXTEND AL WEST LEAD

Leading up to today’s game, the Rangers are 1st in the AL West on a record of 72-54. Overall, they have played in 40 different series, going 24-14-2. When playing above .500 teams, the Rangers are 72-54, and currently hold win percentages of 63.6% at home and 50.0% on the road.

The Rangers will turn to starter Andrew Heaney, who has a 9-6 record in 24 appearances this season. His ERA stands at 4.27, while his K/9 rate is 9.31 and his FIP is 4.72. Additionally, Heaney has an OBP of .322.

Andrew Heaney’s latest start against the Brewers saw him surrender three runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings of work. Unfortunately, the Rangers were unable to come away with the victory, falling 9-8 in the end.

Over their last five games, the Rangers are ranked 16th in the league in scoring at 3.4 runs per game. Their season-long scoring average of 5.6 per contest puts them 2nd in baseball. In terms of on-base percentage, Texas is 2nd, with an OBP currently sitting at .339. The team’s collective batting average is .269 (2nd).

Nathaniel Lowe has been a consistent presence in the Texas lineup this season, boasting a .280 batting average and .451 slugging percentage. Over the Rangers’ last ten games, he has been especially impressive, leading the team with hits and hitting .298.

WILL THE MINNESOTA TWINS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Looking to snap a two game losing streak, the Twins are in 1st place in the AL Central. Minnesota’s overall record sits at 65-62 while going 29-36 on the road and 36-26 at home, respectively. So far, they have played in 40 series, and have gone 19-16-5.

The Minnesota Twins will hand the ball to Pablo López, who has a 9-6 record this season. The right-hander is riding a six-game streak of allowing three or fewer earned runs. His ERA stands at 3.51, with a FIP of 3.17, and opponents have managed just a .360 slugging percentage against him. López has also racked up 187 strikeouts in his outings thus far.

The Twins are looking to Pablo López to help them secure a victory, as he led them to a 5-1 win over the Pirates in his last outing. The righty allowed just six hits and no earned runs over six innings of work.

Having gone deep 15 times in their last ten games, the Twins are 5th in that span. At 4.4 runs per game, Minnesota is 17th in the league. This figure has come on a team batting average of .239 while hitting a total of 172 home runs (7th).

The Twins’ offense has been bolstered by Carlos Correa this season. Correa’s .229 batting average and 55 RBIs have been key contributors, as has his 15 home runs.