Chicago Cubs vs Minnesota Twins Preview
There does appear to be a chance of rain in Chicago on Tuesday, where the Cubs and Twins will face off at Wrigley Field. The money line odds have the Twins at -111 compared to the Cubs at -107. The over/under line is currently at 6 runs.
First pitch for this interleague matchup is set for 8:05 PM ET. MARQ will be televising this one, and the forecasted temperature is 68 degrees. Shota Imanaga is starting for the Cubs, and they are 5th in the NL Central, while the Twins have won five straight and are 2nd in the AL Central. Pablo Lopez is the Twins’ starter.
Check out BetCoco for Chicago Cubs – Minnesota Twins odds
Chicago Cubs vs. Minnesota Twins Trends and Key Stats
- The Twins are 3-2 across their last five road games. They have gone 3-2 vs. the runline.
- Conversely, the Cubs have achieved a 3-2 (SU) record and 3-2 record in their last five home games.
- Over the last ten games, Twins has a record of 7-3 when playing as favorites and 4-6 when playing as underdogs.
- In their last ten games, the Cubs have a record of 4-6 as the favorite and 6-4 as the underdog.
It was a low-scoring game in the most recent game of this Twins vs Cubs series. Minnesota went into the matchup as slight favorites at -117 and squeaked out a 3-0 win. The Twins offense only had one more hit than the Cubs and struck out nine times, but still picked up a win.
David Festa got the win for the Twins out of the bullpen, going five innings and not giving up a run. He finished the game with nine strikeouts but issued two walks. Griffin Jax got the save.
Kyle Hendricks had a decent outing for the Cubs, giving up just two earned runs in six innings of work. He finished the game with five strikeouts but allowed one home run.
Chicago Cubs vs Minnesota Twins Prediction
Minnesota is on a five-game winning streak, and they are 63-48 overall this season. The Twins are 3.5 games behind the Guardians in the AL Central and lead the AL Central with a 24-14 division record. The Twins took the first game of their series vs. the Cubs and have gone 7-3 over their last 10 games.
At home, the Twins are 32-21 this season, and they have gone 31-27 on the road. As the favorite, the Twins are 51-27 this year and 12-21 as the underdog. Their two-game road winning streak is part of their overall road record of 31-27. So far this year, the Twins’ overall series record is 22-12-2.
The Twins have been a solid bet on the run line this season, going 55-56 overall. They have been especially good on the road, where they are 32-26 against the run line. Minnesota has covered the run line in its last two road games and in six of its last eight games overall.
The Minnesota Twins are on the road today to take on the Chicago Cubs. The over/under line for today’s game is set at 6 runs, which is significantly lower than their season average of 9.3 runs per game. The Twins have played in 111 games this season with over/under lines set higher than 6 runs, and their over/under record for the season is 57-51.
Pablo López gets the start for the Twins today as he faces the Cubs on the road. So far this season, he has made 22 starts and has a record of 10-7. López’s ERA is 4.64, along with a WHIP of 1.14. In his 22 appearances, he has turned in 11 quality starts. Looking back at his last outing, López picked up the win, going six innings and giving up two earned runs on three homers. Before that, he had won two straight starts. López has been pitching well lately, as he has given up two earned runs or fewer in four straight outings.
Minnesota’s offense has been one of the best in the league this season, averaging 4.9 runs per game, which is 6th in the MLB. They have been even better at home, averaging 5.1 runs per contest. The Twins are also one of the league’s top home run hitting teams, ranking 8th in the league. As a team, they are batting .253, which is the 6th best mark in the league.
Ryan Jeffers has been the Twins’ top power threat this season, as his 16 homers are the best mark on the team and 15th in the league. He is also the team’s leader in RBIs, with 52. Byron Buxton and Carlos Santana are also near the top of the Twins’ home run leaderboards, with 14 homers apiece. Buxton has gone 3/12 with two homers over his last four games, while Willi Castro has gone 6/17 in his last four games.
Chicago is 55-60 overall, putting them 5th in the NL Central, nine games behind the Brewers for the division lead. So far, they have gone just 17-26 in divisional games. The Cubs are looking to bounce back after falling to the Twins in the first game of the series.
At home, the Cubs are 30-27 this year compared to 25-33 on the road. As the underdog, the Cubs are 30-32 this year, which includes an 11-7 mark as the home underdog. When favored, Chicago has gone 25-28 this year. The Cubs’ overall series record is 13-20-3, heading into today’s matchup.
When betting on the Cubs’ run line this season, it has been a better strategy to take them on the road. Their overall run line record is 55-60, but they are 34-24 on the run line on the road. They have been a better bet as the underdog, going 41-21 on the run line in those games.
The Chicago Cubs are playing at home against the Minnesota Twins today, with the over/under line set at 6 runs. The Cubs have had an average combined run average of 8.3 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 49-62. The average over/under line for their games this season has been set at 8 runs. This season, the Cubs have played in 115 games with over/under lines set higher than 6 runs, and their over/under record when the line is set at 6 runs is 0-0. Chicago’s games have gone under the total in their last two contests.
Shota Imanaga gets the start for the Cubs today and has made 20 appearances this season, all of which were starts. He comes into the game with a record of 8-2 and an ERA of 3.10. Imanaga has pitched well at home, with a record of 3-1 and an ERA of 4.56. In comparison, he is 5-1 on the road with an ERA of 3.1. The last time he pitched, Imanaga finished with a no-decision, giving up four earned runs in 6 2/3 innings of work. He issued two homers in that outing. Leading up to that start, he had gone three straight outings without giving up a homer.
The Cubs offense comes into today’s game averaging just 4.2 runs per game, which is 22nd in the league. They have been even worse at home, averaging just 4 runs per game. As a team, the Cubs are batting .234, which is 16th in the league, and have the 20th ranked slugging percentage in the MLB. Chicago does have a good team walk rate and has the 14th best on-base percentage in the league.
Chicago’s top power threat this season has been Ian Happ, who has 17 homers but is batting just .229. Seiya Suzuki and Isaac Paredes are tied for 2nd on the team with 16 homers. Suzuki is batting .274, and Paredes is batting .236. Nico Hoerner is batting .254 and has gone deep four times this season. Cody Bellinger has been hot of late, going 9/28 in his last seven games.
Our prediction for this Twins vs. Cubs matchup is to take the Cubs on the money line at -107. We have the Cubs winning this one by a score of 5-5.1, and with the payout being nearly even money, this is the route we recommend going.
Looking at the starting pitchers, our projections have Pablo Lopez going six innings, while Shota Imanaga is projected to go just five. Lopez is projected to finish with six strikeouts, compared to Imanaga with five.
Chicago Cubs vs Minnesota Twins Betting Tips
- Take the Cubs on the moneyline
- On the run line we like Cubs (+1.5)
- Projecting a combined 10 runs, we like the over
Chicago Cubs Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Yency Almonte | Out | Shoulder |
| Colten Brewer | Out | Hand |
| Tomás Nido | Out | Knee |
| Seiya Suzuki | Probable | Neck |
| Keegan Thompson | Out | Ribs |
| Adbert Alzolay | Out | Forearm |
| Ben Brown | Out | Neck |
| Hayden Wesneski | Out | Forearm |
| Luke Little | Out | Shoulder |
| Jordan Wicks | Out | Oblique |
Minnesota Twins Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Anthony DeSclafani | Out | Elbow |
| Carlos Correa | Out | Heel |
| Byron Buxton | Questionable | Upper Body |
| Steven Okert | Out | Personal |
| Alex Kirilloff | Out | Back |
| Chris Paddack | Out | Forearm |
| Brock Stewart | Out | Undisclosed |
| Kyle Farmer | Out | Shoulder |
| Justin Topa | Out | Knee |
| Daniel Duarte | Out | Elbow |
| Kody Funderburk | Out | Oblique |
| Brooks Lee | Questionable | Shoulder |
