AL Central Rivals Clash on Opening Day
Finally, we see the first day of Major League Baseball in 2023. The offseason has provided major roster changes, but one thing remained the same: Divisional rivalries will always stand strong.
This makes a matchup between the Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals that much more exciting and makes the baseball world find an even tougher time making MLB picks.
Lopez Gets Nod for Twins
The Minnesota Twins are coming off a losing season. Although their MLB playoffs odds are not very high, the team has earned a win percentage of more than 45% in each of the last six seasons.
In three of those six seasons, they made the playoffs, but they did not contend in either of the past two seasons.
The organization has announced that Pablo Lopez will be the starting pitcher on opening night, and they could not have picked a better choice. Acquired in the offseason from the Miami Marlins, he has been consistent since the pandemic.
In 2022, Lopez had a 3.75 ERA with 174 strikeouts. He made a career-high 32 starts and offers more hope for Minnesota fans. This should give the Twins the edge, making them the easy favorites for their MLB spreads.
Can Royals Compete?
While the Twins have been known to compete at every level, the Kansas City Royals have been quite the opposite. Despite the team’s back-to-back World Series appearances and singular World Series win in 2015, they have failed to be productive since.
They have not broken the 50% win mark since the championship, dipping below a 40% win percentage. The odds favor the Twins in this matchup.
Things continue to look bleak for the Royals, with MLB news reporting that Jackie Bradley Jr. will not be activated for the game. However, all may be saved by starting pitcher Zach Greinke.
Although he may not be the pitcher he used to be, he can still compete at a high level. His 2022 season ended with a 3.68 ERA despite a 4-9 record.
He may not be earning any MVP votes anymore, but if Greinke can turn on the gas against the Twins, the Royals have a real chance to win and make MLB lines even closer.
Twins vs Royals Game Injuries
Twins vs Royals Head-to-Head
Being the first game of the season, predicting an outcome and making a successful MLB bet can be incredibly difficult. However, home-field advantage can make a major impact on the performance of each team.
However, the Twins’ young talent and the Carlos Correa/Byron Buxton combination will be tough to beat.
Twins vs Royals Game Information
- Game: Twins (0-0) vs Royals (0-0)
- Location: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO
- Day/Time: Thursday, March 30th, 4:10 p.m. ET
- Twins vs Royals Live Stream: MLB.tv
Twins vs Royals Betting Lines
Twins vs Royals Picks and Prediction
The Twins are seen to be the clear favorites on the moneyline.
Although they will be playing an away crowd on opening day, the Twins have the talent and grit to win the first game of the season. They should not only win the game but cover the spread as well.
The Minnesota Twins are listed at -145 in our MLB lines. This means that if you wager $100 on Twins, you have a chance to win $69. The Kansas City Royals are +130, offering a chance to win $130 on a $100 wager. The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Twins a 59.18% chance to win, with Royals at 43.48%.
Twins vs Royals Trends
Twins vs Royals Edge
Twins vs Royals Results
Twins vs Royals Game Summary
