The Minnesota Twins are favored in MLB gambling on Thursday as they host the Kansas City Royals in the finale of a three-game series. The matchup in baseball gambling is expected to feature Bruce Chen going for the Royals against Minnesota’s Scott Baker. MLB gambling odds favor the Twins most of the time in their new home. Target Field has been good to the Twins as so far the Twins have been just as good at their new field as they were in the Metrodome. Scott Baker is expected to get the start on Thursday. He is 5-4 on the season with a 4.52 ERA. He went 7 1/3 innings last time out against Oakland and gave up four runs on six hits and had three strikeouts. The last time he pitched against Kansas City he gave up only two runs and seven hits. Baker has been much better at home this season than on the road. His home ERA is 3.49 ERA while his road ERA is 5.66.
Chen is 2-0 on the season with a 2.95 ERA. He has been filling in for the injured Gil Meche and doing quite well. In his two starts he is 1-0 with 3.00 ERA. Last time out he went five innings and allowed just two earned runs on four hits.
Kansas City has not had a lot of success over the years against Minnesota vs. the MLB gambling odds. Before this series began they had lost 15 of the last 20 against the Twins. The teams played two series in April, one in Kansas City and one in Minnesota. The Twins won four of the six games. Five of those six games went over the total in MLB gambling.
The Royals have not been very good at home or on the road in baseball gambling. They actually have a little more value on the road since their prices are higher. Kansas City is below average in hitting and in pitching so it is tough to take them even with their big prices.
Minnesota has been very good at home and just .500 on the road. That would be good enough though to win the American League Central. The Twins are about average in hitting but their pitching has been solid, ranking in the top 10 in the league.