Thursday, August 6, 2015

Rogers Centre

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Kyle Gibson (8-8) vs. Mark Buehrle (11-5)

The Minnesota Twins visit Rogers Centre on Thursday to play the Toronto Blue Jays. The Twins send Kyle Gibson to the mound to face Mark Buehrle of the Blue Jays. The opening line for this matchup has Minnesota at +170 and Toronto at -180. The over/under was set at 8.5. The Twins have a 47-51 over/under record and a 63-43 run line mark, meaning they cover 59% of the time. The Blue Jays are 56-52 against the run line and have a 50-50 over/under record. They cover the spread 52% of the time.

The Twins come into this game with a 54-52 record, and they are 20-30 away from home. Kyle Gibson has a 8-8 record on the season, an earned run average of 3.37 and a 1.25 WHIP. In his starts, the Twins are 11-10 over his 131 innings pitched this season while giving up 124 hits during those innings. Their record against the over/under when he starts is 7-11. His teammates are averaging 3.5 runs a game when he pitches. The bullpen has given up 312 hits on the season and have a earned run average of 4.06. Opposing teams are hitting .252 against the Twins bullpen while walking 101 times and striking out 227 times. Minnesota is averaging 6.1 strikeouts per game while getting 9.42 hits per nine innings as a team. They rank 19th in baseball in team earned run average at 3.96.

Minnesota ranks 23rd in the league in team batting average at .247 while hitting .218 on the road. The Twins on-base percentage sits at .302, which puts them at 28th in the league and they have a team slugging percentage of .393. Joe Mauer leads the team in hits with 103 while the team ranks 24th in baseball with 8.25 hits per game.

With a 56-52 overall record, Toronto will come into this game 34-21 at home. Mark Buehrle has a record of 11-5 while sporting an earned run average of 3.32 on the year with a 1.17 WHIP. In his starts, the Blue Jays are 12-9 and he has allowed 144 hits over 141 innings pitched this season. Their record against the over/under when he starts is 11-8. His teammates score an average of 6.4 runs a game when he pitches. The bullpen has given up 264 hits on the season and have a team earned run average of 3.35. Opposing teams are hitting .219 against the Blue Jays bullpen while walking 90 times and striking out 321 times. Toronto is averaging 7.03 strikeouts per game while getting 8.55 hits per nine innings as a team. They rank 17th in the league in team earned run average at 3.94.

They rank 5th in the league in team batting average with a .263 average while hitting .277 at home. The Blue Jays on-base percentage sits at .332, which puts them at 1st in the league and they have a team slugging percentage of .444. Josh Donaldson leads the team in hits with 123 while the team ranks 7th in baseball with 8.89 hits a game.

In terms of team defense, the Twins have a fielding percentage of .985 with 60 total errors, 1,083 assists and 2,819 put outs. The Blue Jays have committed 65 errors on the season with 1068 assists and 2,874 put outs leading to a team fielding percentage of .984 on the year.

Minnesota Twins Betting Trends

The Minnesota Twins are 47-51 against the over/under so far this season

The Minnesota Twins are 63-43 against the run line so far this season

Toronto Blue Jays Betting Trends

The Toronto Blue Jays are 50-50 against the over/under so far this season

The Toronto Blue Jays are 56-52 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Minnesota Twins

08/02/15 P Tommy Milone Hip Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (8/1)
06/26/15 CF Byron Buxton Thumb Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (6/25)
06/04/15 P Ricky Nolasco Ankle Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (6/1)
05/16/15 CF Jordan Schafer Knee Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (5/16)

Toronto Blue Jays

07/29/15 2B Devon Travis Shoulder Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (7/29)
05/10/15 RF Michael Saunders Knee Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (5/10)
04/06/15 2B Maicer Izturis Groin Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (3/27)
04/06/15 P Marcus Stroman Knee Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (4/6)

Tony's Pick: Take the Twins

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Tony Sink