The Minnesota Twins (31-31) and the Tampa Bay Rays (45-19) wrap up a 3-game series Thursday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET (MLB Network). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Twins vs. Rays odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Rays lead 2-0
The Twins offense has been rather toothless in the 1st 2 games of this series, suffering a 7-0 loss in Tuesday’s opener, while taking a 2-1 loss Wednesday. Minnesota has collected just 7 hits in the 1st 2 games, too, and no player on the Twins has had more than 1 hit in the series.
The Rays have rattled off 5 consecutive victories, and pitching has been the key. Tampa pitchers have yielded just 6 total runs during the win streak, or just 1.2 runs per game. The Under is perfect (5-0) in the stretch, and 8-1 in the last 9 games overall for the Rays.
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Twins at Rays projected starters
RHP Bailey Ober vs. LHP Tyler Glasnow
Ober (3-2, 2.33 ERA) makes his 9th start. He has a 0.97 WHIP, 2.1 BB/9 and 7.8 K/9 in 46 1/3 innings
- Last start: No-decision, 6 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 3 K in a 1-0 home win vs. the Cleveland Guardians Friday
- 2023 road splits: 2-0, 0.69 ERA (13 IP, 1 ER) with 2 BB, 12 K and a .196 opponent batting average (OBA) in 2 starts
Glasnow (0-0, 3.42) may make his 3rd start. He has a 1.34 WHIP, 3.7 BB/9 and 13.0 K/9 in 9 2/3 innings.
- Has not officially been named Thursday starter
- Last start: No-decision, 4.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 8 K in 6-5 loss to Los Angeles Dodgers on May 27
Twins at Rays odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:30 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Twins +145 (bet $100 to win $145) | Rays -175 (bet $175 to win $100)
- Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Twins +1.5 (-145) | Rays -1.5 (+120)
- Over/Under (O/U): 7.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Twins at Rays picks and predictions
Prediction
Twins 3, Rays 2
Moneyline
The TWINS (+145) are worth a look as moderate favorites, as Ober has been red-hot on the road in his 2 outings to date. Meanwhile, the Rays (-175) are rather expensive for a team which has yet to officially announce a starter.
Run line/Against the spread
The TWINS +1.5 (-145) are still a good value if you don’t trust Minnesota completely, and you want a little insurance.
Yes, the Rays -1.5 (+120) have been on fire, winning 5 straight games by a combined score of 23-6. However, Ober is likely to miss plenty of Tampa’s bats, keeping the visitors in this getaway day game.
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Over/Under
The UNDER 7.5 (-110) might be the best play on the board, although this is a rather low number.
The Under has cashed in 5 in a row for the Rays, and 8 of the last 9 games overall. The Under is 5-0 in the last 5 for Tampa Bay against a right-handed starting pitcher, too, while cashing in 4 in a row against winning teams.
The Under is also 5-2 in the last 7 road games for Minny, and 4-1 in the last 5 against the AL East.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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