Two of the hottest hitters in the American League will square off when the red-hot Boston Red Sox visit the Minnesota Twins on Monday in the opener of a four-game series. J.D. Martinez continued his torrid start by clubbing three home runs in a 14-9 victory at Baltimore on Sunday as the Red Sox (6-3) extended their winning streak to six games. Minnesota (5-4) has dropped two in a row despite another big game by Byron Buxton, blowing a six-run lead in an 8-6 setback to the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. Martin Perez (0-0, 5.40 ERA), formerly with Minnesota, will start for the Red Sox, while J.A. Happ (0-0, 2.25 ERA) will take the hill for the Twins.
First pitch is at 2:10 p.m. ET at Target Field. Minnesota is the -145 favorite (risk $145 to win $100) on the money line at William Hill Sportsbook, while the over-under for runs scored is up to 9.5 in the latest Red Sox vs. Twins odds. Before making any Twins vs. Red Sox picks, check out the MLB predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
This model, which simulates every pitch of every game 10,000 times, had a banner 2019 season, the league's last full schedule. The model returned more than $1,400 on its top-rated money-line and run-line MLB picks, and anyone who followed it saw huge rewards.
Now, the model has dialed in on Red Sox vs. Twins. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the MLB lines and trends for Twins vs. Red Sox:
- Red Sox vs. Twins money line: Minnesota -145, Boston +135
- Red Sox vs. Twins run line: Minnesota -1.5
- Red Sox vs. Twins over-under: 9.5 runs
- BOS: The Red Sox are 7-4 in Minnesota since the start of the 2016 season
- MIN: The Twins were a major league-best 24-7 at home in 2020
Why you should back the Red Sox
Boston's offense was dreadful during a season-opening, three-game sweep by Baltimore in which it was outscored 18-5. The Red Sox have made a stunning turnaround by piling up 53 runs during their winning streak, amassing at least six runs and 10 hits in each of the last six games. They not only are batting .332 (78-for-235) during that span but also have posted a slugging percentage of .574 spiced by 12 home runs and 21 doubles.
Martinez has led the offensive barrage despite sitting out Saturday's game, hitting safely in each contest and going deep three times in Sunday's romp to raise his batting average to .472 (17-for-36). He joined Alex Rodriguez and Sandy Alomar Jr. as the only players with an extra-base hit in eight consecutive games to open a season. Martinez also set an American League record for most extra-base hits (12) through the first eight games.
Why you should back the Twins
Buxton continued his season-opening tear by going 3-for-4 with four RBIs in Sunday's loss, including his team-leading fifth home run. He went 8-for-13 with two homers and two doubles in the weekend series vs. Seattle and his eight-game hitting streak is the second-longest of his career, behind a 12-game run in August 2017. Nelson Cruz has hit safely in six straight games and is batting .444 with four homers and nine RBIs.
Minnesota's starting pitchers entered Sunday's game with a 5-0 record and major league-leading 1.88 ERA. Happ, a lefty, did not factor in the decision in his season debut, permitting one run on three hits over four innings. The 38-year-old Happ owns a long history of success against Boston with a 13-4 record and 2.79 ERA, which included a 3-0 mark in four starts in 2019 while a member of the New York Yankees.
How to make Twins vs. Red Sox picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, as the teams combine for 10.1 runs in the simulations, and it also says one side of the money line has all the value. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Twins vs. Red Sox? And which side of the money line has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the money line to jump on Thursday, all from the advanced model that returned more than $1,400 in 2019.
