Minnesota Twins vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction, 9/4/2024 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Minnesota Twins vs Tampa Bay Rays

Date: Wednesday, September 4, 2024

Location: Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL

TV: Bally Sports Sun

Odds/Point Spread: Minnesota (-108) Tampa Bay (-112)

Tropicana Field is the location where the Tampa Bay Rays (67-70) will try to defeat the Minnesota Twins (75-62) on Wednesday. The line on this contest has Minnesota at -108 and Tampa Bay is at -112. The betting total comes in at O7.0. The pitchers taking the mound will be Louie Varland and Tyler Alexander.

Minnesota has a slugging percentage of .425 and have struck out 1,099 times, while drawing a walk on 408 occasions. They have amassed 622 runs batted in in addition to 1,168 hits for the season, and their average at the plate sits at .252. The Twins have hit 268 two-baggers as a squad and have smacked 165 balls out of the stadium. They have 657 runs scored while holding a team OBP of .321. As a team, the Minnesota Twins are scoring 4.8 runs/g, which is 7th in the league.

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They have accrued a K/BB ratio of 3.50 and the pitching staff has earned a collective WHIP of 1.19. Twins pitchers have given up 160 home runs and also 605 total runs (15th in the league). Minnesota has allowed 1,091 hits (8.1 per 9 innings) as well as 562 earned runs. The Twins are sitting with a team earned run average of 4.16 so far this year (18th in the league), and the staff has struck out 1,240 batters. They have walked 354 opposing hitters and their FIP comes in at 3.86 as a unit over the course of the season.

The Twins have sent 443 relievers to the hill on the year. The relievers have inherited 152 runners this season and 44.1% of those players crossed the plate. They have earned 39 saves so far this year and have not converted 16 of their 55 chances to get a save. The Twins bullpen have accumulated a save percentage of 70.9% and has come into the game in 137 save situations. The relief pitchers have 81 holds so far this year (9th in baseball). Twins bullpen pitchers have entered the contest with runners on 103 times as well as having 168 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Minnesota Twins have accounted for 3,647 putouts at this point in the season, in addition to 1,037 assists and 62 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding at .987 which ranks 5th in professional baseball, and have 62 double plays. The Twins have turned 70.4% of balls in play into outs out of their 10,941 innings, ranking them 10th in pro baseball.

Varland (5-10 career win-loss record) sits with a FIP of 4.83 while facing 563 batters during his time in the majors. He has surrendered 141 base hits (9.7 hits per 9 innings) and has had 34 walks. His ERA is 4.91 (71 ER's allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.344. Varland has pitched in 130 innings and has accounted for 124 punch outs during his career.

The Tampa Bay Rays have earned a team on-base percentage of .306 as well as a batting average of .231 so far this year. They have been called out on strikes on 1,260 occasions (7th in the league) and have earned a total of 1,054 base hits. Tampa Bay has hit 127 home runs for the year as well as 495 RBIs. The Rays have a team SLG% of .369 and they score 3.88 runs per outing (28th in the league). They have hit 219 doubles, while taking a walk 439 times as well as putting up 531 runs.

The Tampa Bay pitching staff have surrendered 597 runs for the year and come in with a team ERA of 3.97 (541 earned runs surrendered). They have allowed 176 home runs and they surrender 4.39 runs per 9 innings (14th in baseball). The Rays have a WHIP of 1.234 and are the owners of a FIP of 4.22 as a unit for the season. They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 8.60 (1,173 strikeouts against 389 bases on balls). They are sitting at 16th in the league as a pitching staff in total hits given up with 1,123.

Tampa Bay relievers have an inherited score rate of 24.2% out of 157 inherited runners. Their bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the mound 173 times in high leverage situations and on 108 occasions with runners on. Sitting with 150 save situations, the Rays have earned 86 holds and also 20 blown saves. They are ranked 6th in the league with a save rate of 67.7%, and they have dispatched 463 bullpen pitchers to the mound for the year. Tampa Bay has had bullpen pitchers enter the game in 62 save opportunities and they have earned 42 saves.

In 11,025 innings played, the Rays have earned a defensive efficiency of 70.4% (9th in MLB). The Tampa Bay Rays have gotten 96 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .984 (22nd in pro baseball). The Rays have accrued 1,076 assists, 75 errors and have 3,675 putouts this year.

Alexander (16-27 career win-loss record) has a 4.60 earned run average while surrendering 9.6 hits per nine innings. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.64 and he has faced 1,812 hitters during his career. He has given up 218 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.290 and a FIP of 4.5. So far in his MLB career, Alexander has surrendered 455 base hits while he has totaled 346 K's in 426 frames.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Minnesota (-108)

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