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Dodgers vs. Twins Prediction and Odds for Tuesday, April 12 (Runs Galore in Poor Pitching Matchup)

By Joe Summers

Byron Buxton hopes to continue his stellar start to the season as the Twins host the Dodgers today
Byron Buxton hopes to continue his stellar start to the season as the Twins host the Dodgers today / David Berding/GettyImages
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After dropping two of their first three games to the Rockies, the 1-2 Los Angeles Dodgers hope to rebound as they take on the 2-2 Minnesota Twins today at 7:40 p.m. EST.

Expectations are sky-high for an uber-talented Dodgers squad that feels like it was created in a video game, and they'll be anxious to avoid a 1-3 start. Andrew Heaney is tasked with getting the club back to .500 as he takes the mound today.

A former first-round pick, Heaney has struggled with command over his career and labored through 35 innings last year with a 7.32 ERA.

The Twins will counter with Chris Archer, who amassed a 3-9 record in 2021 with a 5.19 ERA.

In a battle of two pitchers looking to put last year behind them, who has the edge? Will Minnesota nab a third straight win or will Los Angeles' bats be too much for Archer?

Here are the odds from WynnBET as we pick a winner in this Dodgers vs Twins matchup:

Dodgers vs Twins Odds, Run Line and Total

Run Line

  • Dodgers -1.5 (+112)
  • Twins +1.5 (-135)

Moneyline:

  • Dodgers: -135
  • Twins: +125

Total:

  • 9.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Dodgers vs Twins Prediction and Pick

What do you get when you pair two bad pitchers with two lineups that can smack the ever-loving daylights out of a baseball?

A lovely recipe for an over! Look, both lineups are salivating to take on Heaney and Archer. Let's start with Heaney.

The Dodgers hope the former Angel can tap into the talent that made him a first-round pick, but the early returns are far from promising. Heaney gave up 10 runs in just 5.1 innings of spring training work and has been disastrous at every stage of his career.

Minnesota's lineup is downright terrifying right now. Hard-hit percentage is a stat that measures how often a ball was hit with an exit velocity of 95 miles per hour or more. Six of the Twins' nine starting batters have a hard hit percentage of over 50% right now. Good luck, Mr. Heaney. That ball is going to be flying everywhere today.

But, the Dodgers' lineup is scary too. With Mookie Betts, Will Smith, Freddie Freeman, Trea Turner and company, Los Angeles is capable of lighting up even the best pitchers. So it's unfortunate for Minnesota then, that Archer is not even a good one.

The former Pirate had a hard hit percentage of 50% last year and gave up three runs in just a couple innings of work in the spring. I expect a ton of runs on both sides, and thus the over is the play.

Pick: Over 9.5 (-110)

Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.

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