Two teams from the Central divisions of their leagues face off at Wrigley Field tonight, as the Chicago Cubs host the Minnesota Twins. Last night, the Twins took game one of this series, 3-0, but the Cubs have two more chances to get their revenge. They are 30-27 at home this year, but just 5-6 at Wrigley since the All Star Break, and they are losing motivation as we speak.
The Cubs were once battling for the NL Central Division Title, but now find themselves in last place and 9 games out of 1st place. Although we still have close to 45 games left, it will take a serious turnaround for the Cubs to make a playoff push. The Twins are in an opposite position, as they are battling for Wild Card positioning and the AL Central title. Minnesota has now won 5 straight games, they sit just 3.5 games behind the Guardians, and are hitting .298 as a team in August. This team is very hot right now, and are trying to gain some ground on Cleveland.
The Cubbies bats have certainly struggled, especially at home and against RHP. They bat .234 as a team, just .230 against RHP and down to .226 at home. Pablo Lopez will be a tough starter to face, and I think he shoves tonight at Wrigley. Shota Imanaga has been a stud lefty for the Cubs, but Minnesota has no problem raking left handed pitching. Can he lead the home team to victory? Or will the Twins continue their winning streak?
Minnesota Twins vs Chicago Cubs: Pitchers Duel at Wrigley
Can Imanaga lead the Cubs to the victory at Wrigley?
Game Information – Twins vs Cubs
- Venue & Location: Wrigley Field (Chicago, IL)
- Date: Tuesday, August 6th, 2024
- First Pitch: 8:05pm Eastern
Twins vs Cubs Starting Pitchers
- Minnesota Twins: Pablo Lopez (10-7, 4.65 ERA, 1.14 WHIP)
- Chicago Cubs: Shota Imanaga (8-2, 3.09 ERA, 1.09 WHIP)
Betting Odds
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Run Line
- Twins -1.5 (+170)
- Cubs +1.5 (-195)
Money Line
- Twins -106
- Cubs -104
Total
- Over 6 (-115)
- Under 6 (-105)
What is with this Low Total?
Pablo Lopez has 10 wins for the Twins this year
Pablo Lopez has been a stud for the Twins this season, and he improves on the road. His ERA drops down to 4.24 and his WHIP down to 1.03 away from home. Against the terrible Cubs bats, I like him to have a great game and get the run support needed to win this ball game. Lopez has won two straight road games, allowing just 4 runs on 9 hits in 13 innings, striking out 7 batters in each start. He’s won 4 of his L5 road starts, and hasn’t lost an away start since June 6th against the Yankees. I think he shuts down the Cubs bats completely tonight.
Minnesota Bats are Scorching
As for the Twins bats, they could have a field day with Imanaga. His splits are slightly worse at home, and the lefty hasn’t won a game since July 10th. Now, he hasn’t lost since June 21st, however he’s coming off a start where he allowed 4 runs on 10 hits and 2 home runs. Opponents are hitting over .314 against him over the last two weeks, and with the Twins splits, they could light him up. Minnesota hits .253 as a team and just .243 on the road, but they rip lefties for .268 which is 3rd in the MLB.
The Twins have won 5 straight, scoring 8 runs per contest in that stretch. This team has all the motivation in the world, going up against a lefty who’s been shaky, and their bats are firing on all cylinders. Lopez is going to sit down these Cubs hitters, as Dansby Swanson is the only Cub who’s seen him more than 10 times, and he bats .167 against him in his career. I have no problem backing Lopez on the mound, and the Twins at the plate, and I’ll be doing that by taking the run line.
Minnesota Twins vs Chicago Cubs Best Bets
Royce Lewis is back in action for the Twins this season
Twins vs Cubs Prediction: Twins Win
Best Bet: Twins -1.5 (+170) BetOnline
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Although Minnesota does not have any Elite hitters, they have 6 batters with above average or great matchups, according to batters-box.com (Do NOT Forget the Hyphen). Their offensive production can not be overstated, and against a struggling Imanaga, I see them creating plenty of scoring chances. Imanaga throws his fastball over 53% of the time, and he is facing 7 Twins hitters with an Elite Fastball rating today, including the man above, Royce Lewis.
Lewis hits .343 against LHP and .308 in August through 13 at bats. I think the Twins offense greatly overpowers the Cubs today, and I trust Pablo Lopez with his splits much more than I do Imanaga. Give me the Twins by 2 today for +170.
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