The Minnesota Twins (9-2) look for their sixth straight win when they take on the Pittsburgh Pirates (2-9) Wednesday. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. ET at PNC Park. We analyze the Twins-Pirates betting odds and lines, with MLB picks and best bets.
Twins at Pirates: Projected starting pitchers
RHP Randy Dobnak vs. RHP Trevor Williams
Dobnak has made two starts this season and has allowed just one earned run over nine innings, with a 7:4 K:BB ratio.
- He made nine appearances (five starts) with the Twins in 2019, and put up a 1.59 ERA, with 23 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings.
- Dobnak began the 2019 season in High-A, before eventually working his way up to the majors. Across three levels of the minors, he recorded a 2.07 ERA, but with just 109 strikeouts in 135 innings (7.3 K/9).
Williams will be making his third start of the season. In the first two, he totaled 8 1/3 innings, allowing five earned runs, with nine strikeouts and four walks.
- Williams was a big surprise in 2018, when he recorded a 3.11 ERA over 31 starts. But that mark wasn’t supported by the underlying metrics, and his ERA jumped all the way to 5.38 across 26 starts in 2019.
- He has fared better at home throughout his career. In 49 appearances (43 starts) at PNC Park, Williams has a 3.86 ERA, while his road mark sits at 4.67.
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Twins at Pirates: Key injuries
List of key injuries from around the league
Twins
- 3B Josh Donaldson (calf) questionable
Pirates
- RP Keone Kela (illness) out
- RP Kyle Crick (shoulder) out
Twins at Pirates: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 11:50 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Twins 7, Pirates 4
Moneyline (ML)
The Minnesota offense has scored 12 runs in the first two games of this series. The Twins should definitely keep rolling today against Williams, the owner of a very soft skill-set.
On the other side, Dobnak has shown strong skills at all levels over the last couple of years. He should continue to fare well against a Pittsburgh offense ranked 26th in runs per game so far. Side with the TWINS -176.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Twins at -176 would return a profit of $5.70.
Run line/Against the spread (ATS)
The Twins have won by multiple runs five times during their current six-game win streak. They are a good bet to do so again today against a very mediocre starter who will be followed by a beat-up relief corps. Trust the Minnesota bats, and take the TWINS -1.5 (-115).
Over/Under (O/U)
As noted above, this should be a big day for the Minnesota offense. Meanwhile, Dobnak should have some success this evening, but is unlikely to completely shut down the Pittsburgh offense. The OVER 9 (-110) looks like the wise play here.
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