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Athletics vs. Twins Prediction and Odds for Saturday, May 7th (Twins to Stay Hot at Home)

By Joe Summers

Byron Buxton of the Twins admires a well-struck ball
Byron Buxton of the Twins admires a well-struck ball / Mitchell Layton/GettyImages
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After a 2-1 loss to Minnesota last night extended their losing streak to seven, the 10-16 Oakland Athletics send James Kaprielian to the mound to take on the 16-11 Twins at 2:10 PM EST today.")

The Twins will counter with Chris Paddack, who is off to a strong start after coming over from San Diego in the offseason. Paddack has a 3.15 ERA but has gotten progressively better with each outing, culminating in his first win with Minnesota in his last start against the Orioles.

Minnesota has won 11 of 14 while the Athletics are in a free-fall. Can they notch another victory or will Oakland end their slump?

Let's check out the odds from WynnBET to help answer those questions ahead of this Athletics vs Twins matchup:

Athletics vs Twins Odds, Run Line and Total

Run Line:

  • Athletics +1.5 (-110)
  • Twins -1.5 (-110)

Moneyline:

  • Athletics +170
  • Twins -190

Total:

  • 7.5 (Over -110 /Under -110)

Athletics vs Twins Prediction and Pick

Over the last 15 games, Oakland ranks dead-last in OPS at .549. They quite possibly have the worst lineup in the sport, scoring two runs or fewer in 10 of those 15.

Their struggles should continue against Paddack, who ranks in the 95th percentile in walk rate this season and has surrendered just four runs total in his last three starts. His FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) is down to 1.95, so he's been even better than his 3.15 ERA suggests.

On the other end, James Kaprielian will be overmatched against a Minnesota lineup that ranks third in OPS over those last 15 games. He lasted only two innings in his only start of the season, giving up four earned runs and issuing four walks in the process. Oakland's bullpen has been middle-of-the-pack, and I don't see how they can keep the Twins' explosive offense at bay over the course of nine innings.

All it takes is one screw-up and the deficit will be too large for the Athletics to overcome. With how bad their offense is playing, their path to victory typically lies in a 4-2 type of score. The Twins are averaging nearly six runs per game over their last dozen, so good luck with that.

Minnesota gets back in the win column by taking advantage of Kaprielian's poor command early and another strong performance from Paddack.

Pick: Twins -1.5

Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.

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