From Target Field in Minneapolis, we have the Reds and Twins facing off in an interleague matchup. First pitch for this one is set for 1:05 PM ET. David Festa will be starting for the Twins, and he is facing a Reds club that has won two straight. Cincinnati is 4th in the NL Central, while the Twins are 3rd in the AL Central.
The money line odds have the Twins at -160 compared to the Reds at +136. The over/under line is currently at 8.5 runs, and the forecast for Sunday's game in Minneapolis calls for broken clouds and temperatures in the upper 60s.
Cincinnati vs. Minnesota Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Reds at Twins
- Where: Target Field Minneapolis
- Date: Sunday, September 15th
- Betting Odds MIN -160 | CIN +136 O/U 8.5
Reds vs Twins Last Game Recap
Cincinnati cruised to an easy 11-1 win over the Twins in the most recent game of this series. The Reds had a huge 4th inning, scoring nine of their eleven runs. As for the Twins, they scored their only run in the 1st inning. Heading into the game, the Reds were at +128 on the money line.
Nick Martinez pitched well for the Reds in this one, going six innings and giving up just one run. He finished the game with six strikeouts but did not issue a walk. Simeon Woods Richardson had a rough outing for the Twins, giving up three earned runs in just three innings of work.
TJ Friedl and Jake Fraley each homered for the Reds, while Jonathan India scored twice and drove in two runs while going 2/4. Noelvi Marte also had a two-hit game at the plate.
Reds Preview
Currently, the Reds are in 4th place in the NL Central, two games behind the Cardinals. They have a 73-77 overall record and are 14 games behind the Brewers in the division. The Reds have won two straight games heading into today's matchup against the Twins, after losing the first two games of their series vs. the Dodgers.
This season, the Reds have been a profitable run line bet as underdogs, with a 55-29 record. Overall, they have an 82-68 run line record, including a 47-28 mark on the road. The over/under record for Reds games this season is 69-74, with their games averaging 8.7 runs per game. The O/U line for today's game is set at 8.5 runs, which is lower than usual, as 48% of their games have had higher total lines.
Rhett Lowder and the Reds are on the road to take on the Twins today. Lowder is coming off a win in his last outing, where he went 5 innings and struck out 3. He's made 3 starts this season, and in his first outing, he went 6 1/3 innings and didn't allow a run.
Elly De La Cruz has been a consistent run producer for the Reds this season, as he is 2nd on the team with 69 RBIs and is also leading the team with 24 homers. De La Cruz is also batting .257 for the season. The Reds will be looking for Spencer Steer and Jeimer Candelario to get going, as both are batting under .232 for the season.
Over his last eight games, TJ Friedl has gone 10/27 with two homers and seven RBIs. Friedl is also on a three-game hitting streak. As a team, the Reds are averaging 4.4 runs per game and are 13th in the league in home runs.
Twins Preview
Minnesota has been struggling lately, losing three of their last four games and going 3-7 in their last 10. They are 6.5 games behind the Guardians in the AL Central with a 78-70 record. As the favorite, the Twins are 62-41 but as the underdog, they are 16-29.
On the run line, the Twins are 68-80 overall, including a 31-43 record at home and 37-37 on the road. The over has hit in their last four games, and their over/under record for the season is 75-67. The average run total in Twins games this season is 9.2 runs per game.
Right-hander David Festa gets the start for the Twins today as he faces the Reds at home. Festa has made 10 starts this year and has a record of 2-6 with an ERA of 5.08. His WHIP for the season is 1.25. Festa has made just one quality start this year and is coming off a rough outing where he gave up four earned runs in four innings of work. In that outing, he gave up three walks and a homer. Festa has lost each of his last four starts. So far, he has allowed nine homers at home and 2.81 walks per nine innings compared to 3.96 on the road.
Carlos Santana has been swinging a hot bat for the Twins as of late, going 5/14 in his last four games with a home run and three RBIs. Overall, he is batting just .239, but his 21 homers are the most on the team. Ryan Jeffers and Willi Castro are also near the top of the Twins' home run leaderboard, with 20 and 11 homers, respectively. Jeffers comes into the game with 61 RBIs, which is 2nd on the team, while Castro is 3rd with 54 RBIs.
As a team, the Twins are averaging 4.7 runs per game, which is 11th in the league. They have been a better home team this season, averaging 4.9 runs per game. Overall, they are 8th in team batting average and have the 9th fewest strikeouts in the league.
Reds vs. Twins Prediction: Twins ML -160
With the Twins at -160 to pick up a win at home, this is the way we recommend playing this one. We actually have the Twins winning this one by a score of 6-5, so you could also look to take the over, as the line is currently sitting at 8.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, David Festa is projected to finish with five strikeouts, while Rhett Lowder is projected to finish with six. However, we have Festa finishing with a better ERA and getting the win.