Minnesota and Detroit are set to face off in an AL Central matchup at 6:40 PM ET at Comerica Park in Detroit. The Twins are 56-45 this season, while the Tigers come in with a record of 51-53. Keider Montero is slated to start for the Tigers, and the Twins are starting Pablo Lopez.
The money line odds have the Twins as the favorite, with their odds sitting at -168 compared to the Tigers at +143. Friday's over/under line is currently at 8 runs, and BSN will be televising this one.
Minnesota vs. Detroit Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Twins at Tigers
- Where: Comerica Park Detroit
- Date: Friday, July 26th
- Betting Odds MIN -168 | DET +143 O/U 8
Twins Preview
Matt Wallner and the Twins are coming off a big game, as they closed out their series vs. the Phillies with a 5-4 win. Wallner went only 1/2, but his one hit was a home run, and he drove in a run. The Twins really broke things open with a three-run 7th inning. Looking at the betting lines going into the game, the Twins were the slight underdog at +115.
Steven Okert got the start for the Twins, going only one-third of an inning. He didn't give up a run, but he did issue a walk and gave up a hit. Jhoan Duran got the win out of the bullpen, as the Twins scored their three runs in the 7th.
Minnesota has a 44-26 record as the favorite this season, including a 21-9 mark as the road favorite. They are 56-45 overall, sitting 4.5 games behind the Guardians in the AL Central. The Twins have covered the run line in their last two road games and have a 28-23 run line record on the road.
This season, the Twins' games have averaged 9.2 runs per game, and their over/under record is 51-48. In games with an 8-run total, their O/U record is 7-15-2. The over has hit in 38.6% of their games with a total higher than today's line of 8 runs.
Right-hander Pablo López gets the start for the Twins today as he faces the Tigers on the road. He has made 20 starts this season and has a record of 8-7 with an ERA of 4.87. Lopez's WHIP for the season is currently 1.15. The last time he took the mound, he finished with a no-decision, going seven innings and giving up one earned run on four hits. Lopez has made nine quality starts this year and is averaging 10.38 strikeouts per nine innings. For the season, he has allowed 18 home runs. Looking back at his last four outings, Lopez has finished with a no-decision in three straight games.
Carlos Correa and Ryan Jeffers are both on good home run stretches for the Twins, as they are both tied for the team lead with 14 homers. Correa has been a big run producer this season, leading the team with 47 RBIs while batting .308. Jeffers comes into the game with a batting average of just .234. Willi Castro and Jeffers are also tied for the team lead in homers, and Castro is batting .262.
Max Kepler is currently on a five-game hitting streak for the Twins and is batting .350 over his last five games. This includes picking up three RBIs during that stretch. Byron Buxton has struggled of late, going 3/17 in his last five games.
Tigers Preview
Javier Baez and the Tigers are coming off a big 3-0 win over the Guardians to close out their series. Baez was the star of the game, going 1/4 with a homer and three RBIs. The Tigers really broke things open with a three-run 2nd inning. Bligh Madris scored the team's other run, going 3/4 at the plate.
Tyler Holton got the start for the Tigers, going two innings, and didn't give up a run. However, he did issue two walks and only had two strikeouts. Easton Lucas picked up the win out of the bullpen and Shelby Miller got the save.
As underdogs, the Tigers have a 29-33 straight-up record and are 41-21 against the run line. Their overall series record is 14-14-4, and they have a 6-4 record over their last 10 games. Detroit is 51-53 overall and 4th in the AL Central, 11 games behind the Guardians.
This season, the over/under record for Detroit games is 56-45, and the over has hit in 38 games. The under has hit in 39 games, including the last two in a row. The Tigers' average run differential in wins is +3.6, while it is -3.4 in losses.
Through six starts, Keider Montero has a record of 1-3 and an ERA of 5.97 for the Tigers. He most recently faced the Blue Jays, where he took the loss, giving up five earned runs in 5 1/3 innings of work. Montero has made two straight starts without giving up a home run. In his six starts, he has given up a total of seven homers. Montero's ERA at home is 6.92, and he has a record of 0-2 at home. On the road, his ERA is 5.64, and he is 1-1.
Heading into today's game, Riley Greene is the Tigers' top home run threat, as his 17 long balls are not only the best mark on the team but also 12th best in the league. Greene is also hitting .264 for the season and has an OBP of .357. He has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 5/18 in his last six games with two homers and seven RBIs.
Over his last seven games, Matt Vierling has gone 8/29 with one home run. For the season, he is batting .251 and is 2nd on the team with 13 homers. Vierling's 42 RBIs are also the 2nd best mark on the team. Justyn-Henry Malloy has also gone deep twice in his last six games, going 5/18 in that stretch.
Twins vs. Tigers Prediction: Tigers ML +143
We see the Tigers as a great value pick today, with their money line sitting at +143. Our predicted final score is 5-4 in favor of the Tigers, giving us some wiggle room if you wanted to take them on the run line.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Keider Montero is projected to finish with five strikeouts, which is actually higher than Pablo Lopez, who we have finishing with six.
Offensively, the Twins are projected to finish with nine hits compared to the Tigers with nine. However, the Twins are projected to hit more home runs, with the Twins finishing with seven compared to the Tigers with 1.
