The Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals are on the diamond at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. The Twins opened this series last night with a 6-4 win.
Emmanuel pulls us within a pair in the 9th.#TogetherRoyal pic.twitter.com/cTWnxuBHvA
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) May 21, 2022
Devin Smeltzer went 5.1 innings, with 5 hits and 1 earned run allowed, while Jose Miranda and Kyle Garlick chipped in with 2 RBIs each. They have the ultimate benefit of playing in the terrible AL Central.
Minnesota has no competition at the moment, with a record of 23-16 and a 3.5-game lead over the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox are at .500, with the Twins the only team in the AL Central better than even.
The Royals look like the worst team in the division this season. They are 1.5 games ahead of the Detroit Tigers for last, but the Tigers should pull ahead out of the basement over the Royals.
The Tigers are off to a slow start, though they are the better team than the Royals. That said, there have been some positives, notably in the pitching staff with Brad Keller and Zack Greinke. Greinke is wrapping his career up soon, though.
Rookie Joe Ryan is off to a quick start. He appeared in five games last year for an introduction to the major leagues. Ryan held up well in his first five starts, and he’s showing improvement in 2022.
Joe Ryan takes the hill for game 2 of the series. #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/6df0VUO5cV
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) May 21, 2022
Head below for our free Twins vs. Royals prediction on May 21, 2022.
Minnesota Twins vs. Kansas City Royals Live Betting Odds:
| Teams | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Twins | -1.5 (+115) | -143 | Over 7.5 (+100) |
| KC Royals | +1.5 (-135) | +120 | Under 7.5 (-120) |
|
Rank
|
Betting Site
|
Bonus | Bet Now |
|---|---|---|---|
1 |
BetOnline
|
50% up to $1,000 | Go to Site |
| 2 | 
Bovada
|
50% up to $1,000 | Go to Site |
| 3 | 
BetUS
|
125% up to $2,500 | Go to Site |
| 4 | 
Everygame
|
100% up to $500 | Go to Site |
| 5 | 
SportsBetting.ag
|
100% up to $1,000 | Go to Site |
| 6 | 
MyBookie
|
100% up to $1,000 | Go to Site |
| Team Data | Minnesota Twins | KC Royals |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Record | 23-16 | 14-24 |
| Away/Home Record | 10-8 | 8-13 |
| Batting Average | .238 | .231 |
| Batting Average Away/Home | .245 | .239 |
| Runs Per 9 | 4.28 | 3.64 |
| Team ERA | 3.37 | 4.53 |
| Team ERA Away/Home | 3.74 | 4.17 |
Twins vs. Royals Prediction:
Joe Ryan has done everything asked of him this season. He started five games a season ago to gain some experience for 2022. Ryan posted an ERA of 4.05 and a 0.79 WHIP.
In his first full-time role in the rotation, Ryan is off to a fast start with the Twins. He’s learned from what he did wrong last season and has already appeared in more games in 2022.
Ryan is scheduled to make his eighth start this season. He made the rotation after a solid spring training and his form has carried over.
Ryan recorded an ERA of 2.39 and a 0.96 WHIP in seven attempts through 39.1 innings. He’s coming off a sharp outing against the Twins six days back.
His best effort has been on the road, where Ryan has posted an ERA of 1.67 and a 0.90 WHIP. He’s already looked in near-perfect form against the Royals.
Ryan shut down the Royals for 2 hits and no runs on April 21. In 12 at-bats against the Royals, they’re hitting .083 with no runs.
Minnesota Twins vs. KC Royals Betting Trends:
Twins
- Record (Last 10): 5-5
- 21-8 overall in their previous 29 games as a betting favorite
- 10-1 overall in their previous 11 games versus the AL Central
- 7-3 overall in their previous ten games on the road
- UNDER is 5-2-1 in their previous eight games as a betting favorite
- UNDER is 6-2-2 in their previous ten games versus a right-handed starter
Royals
- Record (Last 10): 4-6
- 3-9 overall in their previous 12 games at home
- 1-9 overall in their previous ten games as an underdog at home
- UNDER is 4-1 in their previous five games at home
- UNDER is 11-3-1 in their previous 15 games versus the AL Central
- UNDER is 4-1-1 in their previous six games at Kansas City
Brad Keller is atop the Royals’ rotation ahead of Zack Greinke. Keller is going into tonight with an ERA of 2.89 and a 1.01 WHIP. His best results have been at Kauffman in 2022.
Here's how we will take the field behind Brad Keller as we try to even the series with the Twins.#TogetherRoyal pic.twitter.com/nPE9Ffdjx2
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) May 21, 2022
The Twins are hitting .244 with 3 home runs versus Keller in 58 at-bats. Keller has shown plenty of improvement in his fifth season in the major leagues.
Minnesota has the advantage in the bullpen. They’re one of the better units in the major leagues, with a team ERA of 3.39 and a 1.21 WHIP.
Ryan and Keller are both emerging as solid options this season. Twins’ starter, Ryan, is especially a guy to become familiar with now before the secret is out on him.
I’m looking at a 4-3 of 4-2 final at Kauffman on Saturday evening. The UNDER looks like the bet to side with between the Twins and Royals.
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