The Minnesota Twins (31-21, 2nd AL Central) and Chicago Cubs (30-20, 1st in NL Central) begin a three-game series at Wrigley Field Friday. First pitch is set for 8:15 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the Twins-Cubs betting odds and lines, with MLB picks and best bets.
Twins at Cubs: Projected starting pitchers
LHP Rich Hill vs. RHP Kyle Hendricks
Hill: 2-1, 6 starts, 3.81 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 7.6 K/9, 4.2 BB/9, 26 IP
- Allowed just 2 earned runs in each of his last 3 starts. Went 5 innings in each of the last 2 games.
- The veteran, who began his career with the Cubs, has made 33 career appearances at Wrigley Field with an 11-5 record and 3.81 ERA. He has allowed 21 home runs in 182 innings.
Hendricks: 5-4, 10 starts, 3.29 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 7.0 K/9, 0.8 BB/9, 65 2/3 IP
- Has the lowest walk rate in the National League and is allowing a modest 1.1 home runs per nine innings.
- Has a 2.27 ERA through 5 starts in his home park this season.
Get some action on this game or any other matchup with an MLB bet at BetMGM in NJ, IN, CO and WV. Bet now!
Twins at Cubs: Key injuries
(Get the latest injury news here.)
Twins
- 2B Luis Arraez (knee) out
- C Mitch Garver (ribs) out
Twins at Cubs: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 12:32 p.m. ET.
Prediction
Twins 3, Cubs 2
Money line (ML)
Take the value on the TWINS (+110) as slight underdogs. The Cubs (-121) will be led by Hendricks and his stellar home splits, but the visiting Hill is quite familiar in these surroundings.
Minnesota ranks seventh in baseball with a .785 team OPS against right-handed pitchers, while Chicago is just 26th with a .648 OPS against lefties.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Twins to win would return a profit of $11.
Run line/Against the spread (ATS)
PASS on the run line. We have the Twins at plus-money to win outright, so we don’t want to pay the -209 odds for just one run of insurance in the event of a loss.
There’s value on the Cubs (-1.5, +170) for a win by 2 or more runs amid a four-game winning streak, but this contest sets up as a much tighter pitchers’ duel.
Over/Under (O/U)
The UNDER 7 (-110) is the way to go on the equally-priced total. Minnesota has played to more Unders than any other team in baseball, and Chicago is a modest 25-24-1 against the Over/Under.
Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.
Also see: BaseballHQ Fantasy Baseball
Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1372]