Red Sox vs Twins MLB Odds, Picks, Predictions: Plenty of Motivation for Home Team (Tuesday, August 30)

Red Sox vs. Twins Odds

The Boston Red Sox are looking to pull themselves out of a funk on Wednesday night as they take on the Minnesota Twins in Game 2 of their three-game series.  On the other side, the Twins are trying to keep close in a tight AL Central race.

Chris Archer gets the start for the Twins as he looks to help his club secure the series victory. Despite his 2-7 record, Archer has been decent this season, and he now looks to put himself in line for a third win.

Kutter Crawford gets the ball for the Red Sox and hopes to help the team get back in this three-game series. The Sox are 3-7 over their past 10 games but hope to improve upon that mark Wednesday night.

Red Sox Struggle With Pitching Consistency

The Red Sox have really struggled to get quality starting pitching consistently this season. Kutter Crawford has done his part in contributing to the inconsistency.

Over his past four starts, Crawford has a 9.31 ERA with a 6.23 FIP. He's given up four or more runs in three of those starts, while he gave up nine in his last road start. His overall road ERA sits at 6.27, but his road FIP of 3.97 indicates he's had some tough luck.

Boston's bullpen has also struggled to find consistency this season, and over the past two weeks, Sox relievers have the second-highest ERA in MLB. They are also in the bottom half of the league in FIP over that span.

While the Sox offense has been solid on the road over the past few weeks against RHP – and in general – their pitching has not done its part to alleviate the offense's burden.

Twins Have Pitching Help in Bullpen

On the other side, Chris Archer's 2-7 record masks the fact that he's been a solid back-of-the-rotation arm for the Twins.

He's also been solid at home this season. Archer brings a 3.83 ERA and 3.15 FIP at home into Wednesday night's matchup.

Archer will also be backed by a Twins' bullpen that has been dominant over the past two weeks. They have the fourth-best ERA and second-best FIP over that span, and considering Archer does not work deep into games, they'll need to step up to cover innings.

The Twins' offense has fared well in the absence of Byron Buxton, and frankly, that is something they've had to do a fair amount this season.

While they are obviously a better offense with Buxton in the lineup, the Twins have been an excellent home offense all season.

Red Sox-Twins Pick

If you didn't read the name "Chris Archer," you would see that the Twins have a considerable edge on the mound Wednesday night. While both offenses are solid, the Twins have won four straight, and they are 39-28 at home.

The Red Sox are in a rough patch, and running into a highly motivated Twins team in the middle of making a playoff pitch is a tall order.

The Twins' moneyline opened at -125 and quickly moved to -135. The Twins' moneyline should be the play here to -150.

Pick: Twins ML -135