MLB Betting Online: Despite the worst record in the American League, the Minnesota Twins could be road favorites against the Oakland Athletics when the teams face off on Tuesday, May 31st, 2016 in Oakland. Minnesota enters the series on a season-high four-game winning streak and sends out a pitcher who has been more impressive this season. Tyler Duffey hopes to continue a successful campaign and give the Twins the victory over the Athletics in MLB odds.
The Twins struggled both at the plate and on the mound early on this season, and the hole they’ve dug themselves will be tough to get out of moving forward. The team sits at 15-34 on the year, which is nine games behind every other team in the American League Central. If they are to turn it around, it will come on the back of some of the team’s young talent. Burgeoning star Miguel Sano started the season slowly but is now hitting .236 with a team-best 11 homers and 26 RBIs, accumulating an OPS of .807 which figures to increase moving forward. Joe Mauer and Eduardo Nunez have been a pair of bright spots early on, and the Twins are hoping to get improved production from players like Brian Dozier and Byung Ho Park. Duffey takes the mound on Tuesday with a 2-3 record and 3.93 ERA. While he’s not a dominant pitcher, he will usually keep his team in the game, and could find success in a pitcher-friendly park against an A’s lineup which isn’t very intimidating.
While Duffey isn’t overpowering, he’s been much better than Oakland starter Eric Surkamp this season. Surkamp has a record of 0-3 with a 6.55 ERA on the year, with the type of low strikeout numbers that don’t forecast improvement in the future. Surkamp hopes to turn it around against a Twins offense which is among the league’s worst at scoring runs, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Minnesota bats succeeded against him. The Athletics are led offensively by Josh Reddick, who is batting .322 with five homers, 18 RBIs and an OPS of .860, but he is on the disabled list with a thumb injury. Third baseman Danny Valencia and left fielder Khris Davis, who leads the team with 14 home runs, will be leaned on offensively. The Athletics don’t have any superstars in the lineup, so they have to rely on getting production from all areas. That hasn’t happened consistently this season, leading to a 22-29 overall record, which is tied for last place with the Houston Astros in the American League West. Oakland does enter this matchup on a two-game winning streak and will aim to keep it going in order to get back into contention in the division.
The A’s and Twins were expected to be near the bottom of the pack in the American League this season, and thus far it has worked out that way. Both have played well of late, however, and will aim to keep up that hot streak. These teams are pretty even despite Oakland’s superior record, and Duffey’s presence gives the Twins the slightest of edges in this regular season matchup. While it’s hard to know which hitters will play well in an individual contest, Sano has been hot lately and has a favorable matchup while facing Surkamp. He could have a big day for the Twins, which would help them pull out the road victory in MLB odds.
Quick Pick MLB Odds: The choice here is the Twins, as they have the superior starting pitcher taking the hill in a game which is otherwise pretty evenly matched.
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker sportsbook for the MLB regular season game between the Minnesota Twins and Oakland Athletics on Monday, May 30th, 2016, at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California, featuring Ervin Santana, Miguel Sano, Danny Valencia and Khris Davis! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today!
