The struggling Oakland Athletics (41-50 SU, -17.15 Units) are going to have one of their most tradable commodities on the mound on Saturday when they take on the Minnesota Twins (49-40 SU, +17.60 Units).
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Twins aren't really perceived to be legitimate contenders yet, but perhaps they should be. They won six of their last seven games before the All-Star break, earning 5.42 units in the process.
It should also be noted that these two teams are separated by nearly 35 units this year between Minnesota's earnings and Oakland's losses.
PITCHING MATCHUP
We've got a good one on Saturday with Scott Kazmir pitching against Phil Hughes. These two men are both right around .500 pitchers, but clearly, Kazmir is the better of the two.
Hughes might have finished up the first half at 4-0, but the fact of the matter is that he’s escaped a lot of danger in the process and is working out of a lot of jams. If he keeps getting into tough spots, his ERA (which is 3.38 in his last six starts) will start to look a lot more like his FIP (5.13 in that stretch), which would lead to more losses.
The only concern about Kazmir, who enters this game with one of the best ERAs in the American League at 2.49, is that he left his last start of the first half against the Yankees with a triceps issue.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"That's kind of what it felt like – just a little bit of tightness, maybe like cramping or something like that. It definitely felt very minor, and I wanted to go back out there and still pitch. Super minor." – Athletics starting pitcher Scott Kazmir on the triceps injury which forced him out of the game last week against the Yankees in his last start
SITUATIONAL BETTING
Part of Oakland's trouble this season has been its lousy bullpen. Tyler Clippard is only 17-of-19 in save chances, and the fact that he’s had to throw 37 innings with just 19 save opportunities is proof that he’s had to pitch a lot just for the sake of pitching.
Clippard leads this bullpen with a 2.43 ERA, and though there aren’t that many awful numbers which make you cringe out of this unit (okay, except maybe Eric O'Flaherty's 6.88 ERA and Dan Otero's 6.29 ERA), the fact that literally no one in the pen has better than a 2.43 ERA is very concerning.
PROP TALK
Keep a really close eye on Miguel Sano as we start the second half of the year. This kid can mash the baseball, as he has two homers and eight RBIs in his 11 games at the big league level.
What we're worried about though are all the strikeouts. The young third baseman has already whiffed 15 times in 37 at bats, a ratio which cannot continue for him to stay in the majors. That said, he's still slashing .378/.489/1.138, and that can't be ignored either.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Twins find ways to win games, while the A's find ways to lose them.
You can bet that will continue on Saturday. Especially if Minnesota finds itself as a big underdog in this game, there's no reason to think that it won't have a lot of value.
The Twins don't have great batting averages across the board, but the addition of Sano really makes this unit incredibly dangerous. Kazmir will learn that firsthand come Saturday.
Minnesota 7, Oakland 4
The baseball betting odds for this Saturday game will first be available at BookMaker Sportsbook. BookMaker is going to have multiple betting options available for this televised baseball matchup. Live wagering during commercials offers an adjusted moneyline, individual inning run totals and next hitter results. Log in and start gambling during the game now!
Need to fund your account before the big game but don't have your computer? No problem! BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone or tablet. Don't miss out on getting paid because you couldn't bet. Click here and deposit at BookMaker now! The duel between the Minnesota Twins and the Oakland Athletics will take place Saturday, July 18, 2015 at 9:05 p.m. ET at the O.co Coliseum in Oakland, CA. Catch the action live on the MLB Network.
