The Athletics (58-70) and Minnesota Twins (58-68) will face off in the MLB this afternoon. First pitch from Target Field is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET. The game will broadcast live on NBCS-CA.
The Athletics are -120 favorites to win outright on the moneyline, while Minnesota is +100 to pull off the upset. The over/under is set at 9.5 total runs.
Continue below for my Athletics vs Twins predictions and MLB picks for Thursday, August 21, as well as probable pitchers, betting trends, injury reports and more.
Athletics vs Twins Prediction, Picks
- Athletics vs Twins pick: Athletics Moneyline (-120)
My Twins vs. Athletics best bet is on the A's moneyline, with the best price currently available at Fanatics. But as always, make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Athletics vs Twins Odds
| Athletics Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +135 | 9.5 -110o / -110u | -120 |
| Twins Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -175 | 9.5" -110o / -110u | +100 |
Athletics vs Twins Projected Starting Pitchers
| RHP Jack Perkins (ATH) | Stat | RHP Jose Urena (MIN) |
|---|---|---|
| 2-2 | W-L | 0-0 |
| 0.4 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | -0.1 |
| 4.28/3.16 | ERA /xERA | 4.06/7.23 |
| 3.92/4.08 | FIP / xFIP | 5.60/5.19 |
| 1.13 | WHIP | 1.42 |
| 15.1% | K-BB% | 4.5% |
| 42.7% | GB% | 32.0% |
| 107 | Stuff+ | 84 |
| 91 | Location+ | 105 |
Athletics vs Twins MLB Thursday Preview
Athletics Betting Preview, Analysis
A fifth round draft pick in 2022, the Athletics' Jack Perkins has looked sharp in his rookie campaign.
Through 11 appearances on the mound, Perkins possesses a 4.28 ERA and 1.13 WHIP.
Not only has he handled both bullpen and rotation duties well, but his underlying metrics suggest even more success moving forward.
Entering this matchup, Perkins boasts a 3.15 xERA and .217 xBA.
If he officially qualified, the right-hander would rank in the top quarter of the league in average exit velocity, whiff rate and hard-hit rate.
Perkins should also receive plenty of run support. This season, the Athletics rank in the top five in hits per game, BA, SLG and OPS.
Minnesota Twins Betting Preview, Analysis
The clear hitting advantage in this matchup goes to the Athletics.
Minnesota fails to crack the top half of the league in each of those four aforementioned categories.
These hitting woes are likely to continue against Perkins.
Not only does the right-hander profile well, but not a single member of the Twins has faced him prior to Thursday.
It will likely take a few rotations through the batting order to attempt to figure him out, and by then, it may be too late.
Furthermore, Minnesota's bullpen can't be trusted.
Entering this matchup, the Twins' relief corps ranks 23rd in ERA.
Athletics vs Twins Betting Predictions
There are many reasons to like the Athletics moneyline in this spot.
Perkins has thrown well since entering the starting rotation, and his analytics suggest to expect even stronger outings moving forward.
Meanwhile, the clear hitting advantage belongs to the Athletics.
While Minnesota boasts home-field advantage, these two teams' road/away winning percentages are nearly identical.
Athletics vs Twins Best Bet
- Athletics ML (-120)
Athletics vs Twins Betting Trends
For the latest on MLB injuries, be sure to check out our MLB Injury Report page.
