Chicago Cubs vs Minnesota Twins Prediction, 8/31/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Chicago Cubs vs Minnesota Twins

Date: Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Location: Target Field in Minneapolis, MN

TV: Bally Sports North

Odds/Point Spread: Chicago (+130) Minnesota (-167)

Target Field is the venue where John Gant and the Minnesota Twins (57-73, 5th in AL Central) will take on the Chicago Cubs (57-75, 4th in NL Central) on Tuesday. The line on this matchup has the Cubs coming in at +130 and the Twins are at -167. The over/under is set at 8.5. The expected starting pitchers are Zach Davies and John Gant.

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As a unit, the Chicago Cubs are putting up 4.2 runs/g, which has them at 21st in MLB. They have 559 runs scored while having a team on-base percentage of .305. The Cubs have tallied 179 two-baggers as a unit and have hit 168 baseballs out of the stadium. They have earned 529 RBI's and 993 hits for the year, and their team batting average sits at .231. Chicago has a slugging rate of .398 and have been rung up 1,301 times, while taking a walk on 398 occasions.

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Cubs pitchers have relinquished 191 home runs in addition to 668 total runs (26th in MLB). They have walked 481 players from the other team and their FIP is 4.83 as a squad for the season. Their K/BB ratio is 2.34 and their pitching staff holds a WHIP of 1.39. The Cubs have compiled a team ERA of 4.75 on the season (25th in MLB), and their staff has struck out 1,127 hitters.

The Cubs have sent 488 relievers to the mound on the season. The relief pitchers have inherited 216 runners this year with 33.3% of those players ended up crossing the plate. They have tallied 31 saves on the year and have blown 10 out of their 41 save opportunities. The Cubs relief pitchers have recorded a save rate of 75.6% and stepped onto the hill in 106 save situations. The bullpen have a total of 64 holds on the season (15th in the league). Cubs bullpen pitchers have gone to the mound with runners on base 135 times as well as having 129 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Cubs have turned 69.3% of baseballs in play into outs out of their 10,353 innings, which ranks them 20th in pro baseball. The Chicago Cubs have accounted for 3,451 putouts this year, in addition to 1,260 assists and 69 errors. Their fielding rate is holding at .986 which is 12th in MLB, and they have twisted 846 double plays.

Davies (56-46 career win-loss record) holds a FIP of 4.36 while he has faced 3,446 batters during his time in the majors. He has conceded 804 hits (8.9 hits per nine innings) with 263 walks. His earned run average is 3.99 (361 earned runs allowed) and his WHIP is 1.309. Davies has pitched in 815 innings and has totaled 599 punch outs in his pro baseball career.

The Minnesota Twins hold a team OBP of .318 in addition to a batting average of .242 this year. They have been rung up on 1,129 occasions (17th in the league) and have totaled 1,060 base hits. Minnesota has knocked in 184 HRs so far this year to go along with 562 RBIs. The Twins hold a team slugging percentage of .424 and they average 4.60 runs per game (11th in MLB). They have hit 214 doubles, while walking 439 times and putting up 598 runs.

The Twins have a team WHIP of 1.337 in addition to having a FIP of 4.72 as a unit on the year. Their strikeout to walk ratio comes in at 2.68 (1,058 strikeouts against 395 walks). They sit at 26th in the league as a pitching staff in total hits relinquished with 1,128. They have yielded 197 long balls and they yield 5.51 runs per 9 innings (28th in baseball). The Minnesota pitching staff have given up 697 runs on the season while having a team ERA of 5.00 (633 earned runs allowed).

Minnesota has had bullpen pitchers enter the contest in 50 save opportunities and they have tallied 31 saves. They are currently ranked 14th in the league holding a save rate of 62.0%, and they have dispatched 417 bullpen pitchers onto the diamond for the year. Their bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the hill 143 times in high leverage situations and on 104 occasions with runners on. Minnesota bullpen pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 47.8% of 136 inherited base runners. Sitting with 119 save situations, the Twins have earned 69 holds and 19 blown saves.

The Minnesota Twins have turned 115 double plays and have accounted for a fielding rate of .980 (30th in MLB). The Twins have accrued 1,157 assists, 94 errors and have earned a total of 3,417 putouts during this campaign. In 10,251 innings on the field, the Twins are sitting with a defensive efficiency of 68.9% (23rd in MLB).

In his pro baseball career, Gant has allowed 300 base hits while he has earned 309 K's in 355 innings pitched. Gant (23-23 career record) holds a 3.85 earned run average while giving up 7.6 hits per 9 innings. He has conceded 152 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.383 and being the owner of a FIP of 4.3. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 1.62 and he has faced 1,528 hitters so far in his career.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Minnesota (-167)

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