Tampa Bay Rays vs Minnesota Twins Prediction & Betting Tips - MLB

Prediction published on 08/06/2023, 02:04  by Joseph King | Modified on 08/06/2023 at 02:04 in MLB Predictions

An American League clash in the MLB sees the AL East leading Tampa Bay Rays hosting the AL Central leading Twins on Thursday. The Rays have the best record in baseball with 45 wins and a .703 winning percentage so far on the year. It’s been a fantastic start for Tampa Bay who have built up a 6.5 game lead over the second-place Orioles in their division. They enter this contest in a fine run of form after having ripped off five straight victories and can complete the sweep over Minnesota here. The first of this three game series finished in a big 7-0 win for Tampa Bay. This was followed up by a bottom of the ninth run to earn the Rays a tight 2-1 win in game two on Wednesday. Taking the mound for the home side is Tyler Glasnow who made just his second start of the season in his last outing. Glasnow made it five and a third innings in that appearance, giving up four hits and just one earned run in a 4-2 Tampa Bay win against the Red Sox. 

The Twins are sitting on a .500 record at 31 wins and 31 losses with a third of the regular season already in the books. Despite their record, Minnesota still finds themselves leading the AL Central due to the poor overall performances by the other squads. It’s the only division in baseball that has failed to produce a team with a winning record. The Twins have been in a difficult stretch of form, losing their last four in a row following their two defeats to the Rays. Minnesota sends out Bailey Ober for this contest who is 3-2 on the season with an ERA of 2.33. Ober pitched an excellent game in his most recent start, pitching six innings of shutout baseball in a 1-0 win over Cleveland. He’ll be put to the test here against a red-hot Rays team.