Twins vs. Royals Prediction, Computer Picks, Odds & Pitching Matchup 8/16/2022

The Kansas City Royals (48-69) will look to Vinnie Pasquantino, with homers in two straight games, to pull off an upset win over the Minnesota Twins (59-55) Tuesday at Target Field. The Twins are -195 moneyline favorites for the game, which starts at 7:40 PM ET. Minnesota’s Sonny Gray gets the start, and he’ll go against Kansas City’s Zack Greinke.

Twins vs. Royals Spread and Betting Line

Computer Predictions for Twins vs. Royals

Our best bet is the Royals on the moneyline at +163 after digging through all of the key trends and statistics for this matchup. Our computer predicts the scoring will over the total of 8.5 runs.

Our computer pick: Kansas City Royals (+163) and Over (8.5)

Twins vs. Royals Game Info

• Minnesota Twins probable starting pitcher: Sonny Gray
• Kansas City Royals probable starting pitcher: Zack Greinke
• Game Day: Tuesday, August 16, 2022
• Game Time: 7:40 PM ET
• Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Stadium: Target Field

Minnesota Twins vs Kansas City Royals Pitching Matchup

Twins Starter Sonny Gray

• Gray (6-3 with a 3.33 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 83 2/3 innings pitched) gets the start for the Twins, his 18th of the season.
• The righty last pitched on Thursday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, when he tossed 4 2/3 innings, allowing three earned runs while giving up six hits.
• The 32-year-old has an ERA of 3.33, with 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings, in 17 games this season. Opposing hitters have a .225 batting average against him.
• Gray is trying to secure his sixth quality start of the year in this matchup.
• Gray will look to record his 10th matchup of five or more innings pitched this season. He’s averaging 4.3 innings per appearance.
• The opposing Royals offense has the 20th-ranked slugging percentage (.383) and is 26th in MLB play with 100 home runs. It has a collective .247 batting average, and is 11th in MLB with 971 total hits and 24th in MLB action scoring 459 runs.
• Head-to-head against the Royals this season, Gray has thrown six innings, giving up one earned run on two hits while striking out four.

Royals Starter Zack Greinke

• The Royals will hand the ball to Greinke (4-7) for his 20th start of the season.
• The right-hander’s last start was on Thursday, when he tossed 6 1/3 innings without allowing a run on nine hits in a matchup with the Chicago White Sox.
• The 38-year-old has pitched in 19 games this season with an ERA of 4.29, a 2.85 strikeout to walk ratio and a WHIP of 1.338.
• He has started 19 games this season, earning a quality start (6 or more IP, 3 or fewer ER) in five of them.
• In 19 starts, Greinke has pitched through or past the fifth inning 14 times. He has a season average of 5.1 frames per outing.
• The Twins have scored 509 runs this season, which ranks 15th in MLB. They are batting .251 for the campaign with 140 home runs, eighth in the league.
• This season, the right-hander has pitched against the Twins in two games, and they have gone 12-for-36 with three home runs and six RBI over nine innings.

Twins Betting Picks & Insights

• This season, the Twins have been favored 66 times and won 41, or 62.1%, of those games.
• This season, Minnesota has won nine of its 10 games, or 90%, when favored by at least -195 on the moneyline.
• The moneyline for this contest implies a 66.1% chance of a victory for the Twins.
• Minnesota and its opponents have hit the over in 54 of their 115 games with a total this season.
• In 115 games with a spread this season, the Twins are 56-59-0 ATS.

Royals Betting Picks & Insights

• The Royals have been victorious in 39, or 39.8%, of the 98 contests they have been chosen as underdogs in this season.
• This year, Kansas City has won seven of 30 games when listed as at least +163 or worse on the moneyline.
• The moneyline set for this matchup implies the Royals have a 38% chance of walking away with the win.
• Kansas City and their opponents have gone over in 57 of their 120 games with a total set by sportsbooks this season.
• The Royals are 57-63-0 against the spread in their 120 games with a line set by sportsbooks this season.

Twins Leaders & Batting Stats

• Luis Arraez paces the Twins with a team-best batting average of .332.
• Among all MLB hitters, Arraez is first in batting average, fourth in on-base percentage, and 59th in slugging.
• Jorge Polanco’s 55 runs batted in are a team-high mark.
• Polanco ranks 62nd in homers and 55th in RBI on the year.
• Byron Buxton has hit a team-high 28 homers.
• Buxton has at least one base hit in two straight games. During his last five outings he is batting .333 with two home runs, a walk and four RBI.
• Carlos Correa is batting .273 with 15 doubles, 14 home runs and 43 walks.
• Correa takes a six-game streak with at least one hit into this one. During his last 10 games he is batting .333 with a double, a home run, seven walks and two RBI.

Royals Leaders & Batting Stats

• Bobby Witt Jr. leads the Royals with 57 runs batted in while racking up a team-best batting average of .251.
• Among all hitters in MLB, Witt Jr. is 62nd in home runs and 44th in RBI.
• MJ Melendez is batting .228 with 14 doubles, two triples, 14 home runs and 42 walks.
• Among all MLB hitters, Melendez is 74th in homers and 127th in RBI.
• Salvador Perez has 17 home runs, tops in the clubhouse.
• Nicky Lopez is batting .246 with 11 doubles, two triples and 23 walks.