Twins vs Rangers Odds: Both Teams Inching Towards the AL Playoffs

• The Minnesota Twins lead the all-time series over the Texas Rangers 395-351
• The Minnesota Twins have won three of the four games versus the Texas Rangers this season

Twins vs Rangers Odds

Odds taken from DraftKings Sportsbook. See different MLB betting sites for more betting opportunities!

Twins vs Rangers Picks

• Our Pick: Texas Rangers beat the Minnesota Twins on Saturday, 7-3

Twins vs Rangers Picks

As the final month of regular season play for the 2023 MLB Season starts, the need for teams to get their playoff paths set starts to get more critical. Teams in first place in their division like the Minnesota Twins (69-65 as of Friday morning) look to maintain their lead and not avoid any slips within the last handful of games of the season. Teams that are in the heat of the wildcard race like the Texas Rangers (75-58 as of Friday morning) are either trying to take control of the division or maintain one of the three spots for the wildcard.

The Twins came into the 2023 MLB Season as the only serious threats to dethrone the Cleveland Guardians as the winners of the AL Central Division. They were a team that had a more reliable roster and star playmakers than the Guardians for the division title.

Through the month of April and their one game in March, the Twins had a solid rhythm and consistently accounted for wins. Going into May, the Twins had accounted for a 17-12 overall record. The Twins then fell out of rhythm through May and June by winning only 24 of the 54 games during that stretch. They were able to stay on top of the AL Central through the majority of the first half of the season because the division was so weak.

Coming out of the 2023 MLB All-Star Break, the Twins were in second place in the division and were determined to retake the AL Central. The Twins came out of the All-Star Break with an overall record of 45-46 and had a 24-19 run in the second half of the season.

The Twins enter this weekend with five games above the Guardians in the AL Central Division. If the Twins play with some consistency in their series, they should be winners of the division. No other in the league as the remaining four teams are under .500%.

The Rangers looked like real contenders for their first potential World Series title due to the elite batting potential and the various amount of reliable pitchers on their roster. Through most of the 2023 MLB Season, the Rangers have been feared as the most efficient batting team in the league.

The Rangers had to take time to develop their impressive rhythm at the beginning of the season. Before long in April, the Rangers were finding themselves six games above .500% at multiple points.

After a 17-11 start to the 2023 MLB Season, the Rangers had an incredible month of May with an 18-9 run. They finished the first half of the season with an overall record of 52-39.

The second half of the season has been good for the Rangers, but it has also been good for their AL West rivals in the Houston Astros and the Seattle Mariners, who have all had extensive leads in the division at some point. The Mariners and the Astros are tied for first place in the AL West followed quickly by the Rangers by one game. The remainder of the 2023 MLB Season will tell a lot about how the Rangers are looking to compete and if they are worthy of a wildcard or the divisional title.

Minnesota Twins Predictions

At the start of the season, the Twins have been one of the worst teams in the team in terms of consistency at the plate. They were a team that had the talented players to create something good in the batting game but lacked the patience and rhythm.

The Twins have three players who have accounted for 20 or more home runs this season in rightfielder Max Kepler, leftfielder Joey Gallo, and centerfielder Michael Taylor. Gallo has been able to get walked numerous times this season, but he has also been struck out a team-high 140 times. Shortstop Carlos Correa has been one of Minnesota this season as he leads the team with 102 hits.

As a team, the Twins have become efficient at consistency at the plate. The Twins are ranked eighth in runs accounted for (603), 11th in hits accounted for (1083), ninth in second-base hits accounted for (224), fourth in home runs accounted for (187), 12thb in stolen bases (68), third in walks (463), 15th in strikeouts encountered (1382), 12th in batting average (.239), ninth in on-base percentage (.319) and seventh in slugging percentage (.421).

One of the biggest problems with the Twins is their patience at the plate. The Twins have shown to win games by trying to make the big hits such as home runs, but in times when they need to account for a hit to get on base, the Twins are hasty in their decision-making. This is a serious factor that causes them to strike out at a dangerously high level.

The Twins' biggest reason for their success this season is the efficiency and reliability of their pitching game. From starting pitchers to replacements to closers, the Twins have a solid bullpen that can take control of the game overall. Minnesota has two of the most reliable starting pitchers in the league in Pablo Lopez (3.72 ERA in 164.2 innings pitched) and Sonny Gray (2.92 ERA in 157 innings pitched).

The Twins are ranked in the AL in ERA (3.94), fifth in hits allowed (1076), fifth in runs allowed (557), sixth in home runs allowed (526), third in walks allowed (375) and first in strikeouts delivered (1264).

Dallas Keuchel (3.50 ERA in 18 innings pitched) is set to be the starting pitcher for the Twins on Saturday against the Rangers.

Texas Rangers Predictions

The Texas Rangers have been the team to beat through most of the season as they possess one of the best and deepest rosters in the MLB this season. Their reliability at the plate and at the mound shows they are going to be a serious team for a World Series title this season.

In the batting game, only the Atlanta Braves in the NL can say they can consistently match the Rangers' efficiency at the plate this season. The Rangers have six players that have a batting average of .272 or better this season. Seven players have accounted for more than 100 hits at the plate this season.

Second baseman Marcus Semien has accounted for 99 runs, 152 hits, 20 home runs, 81 RBIs, a batting average of .275, an on-base percentage of .346 and a slugging percentage of .456. Shortstop Corey Seager has accounted for 68 runs, 125 hits, 25 home runs, 80 RBIs, only 69 strikeouts, a batting average of .346, an on-base percentage of .411, and a slugging percentage of .651.

As a team, the Rangers rank first in the AL in runs accounted for (738), first in hits accounted for (1240), fifth in home runs (184), first in walks (475), eighth in strikeouts encountered (1167), first in batting average (.268), first in on-base percentage (.338), first in slugging percentage (.454) and first in OPS (.793).

In the pitching game, the Rangers are not as deep as the Twins, but there is a solid set of starters, replacements, and closers they can turn to. The Rangers are looking to get their ace pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (2.69 ERA in 123.2 innings pitched) back in the lineups soon.

Before the 2023 MLB Trade Deadline, the Rangers traded for 39-year-old pitcher Max Scherzer from the failed New York Mets experiment. Scherzer (2.64 ERA in 30.2 innings pitched with the Rangers) looks to bring that added veteran presence in the bullpen and potentially help the team win their first World Series title.

As a team, the Rangers rank ninth in the AL in ERA (4.09), third in hits allowed (1064), sixth in runs allowed (565), fifth in home runs allowed (154), fourth in walks allowed (393) and 12th in strikeouts delivered (1105).

Jordan Montgomery (2.30 ERA in 31.1 innings pitched) is set to be the starting pitcher for the Rangers on Saturday against the Twins.

Twins vs Rangers Over/Under Analysis

The over/under is set at nine runs, which is the middle ground of all the games to be played on Saturday. Both teams are coming in with young, but proven pitchers in their limited time at the mound. The Rangers are going to be the factor in how many runs will be scored on Saturday.

Head-to-Head: Twins vs Rangers

How to Watch Twins vs Rangers

• What: Minnesota Twins vs Texas Rangers
• Where: Globe Life Field, Arlington, Texas
• When: Saturday, September 2, 7:15 PM 
• How to Watch: FOX, MLB Network, MLB TV, MLB Extra Innings