Royals vs. Twins: Picks, predictions, how to watch Wednesday’s game

The Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins square off on Wednesday with first pitch set for 1:10 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. Daniel Lynch (4-7, 4.52 ERA) will start for the Royals with Tyler Mahle (6-7, 4.26 ERA) on the mound for the Twins.

Kansas City (48-70) lost four of its last five games and will look to avoid a sweep on Wednesday afternoon. Lynch will make his 19th start of the season and threw five scoreless innings in his last start against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Royals rank seventh in runs per game (3.9), and 22-year-old rookie Bobby Witt Jr. has been one of the lone bright spots with a team-high 57 RBI.

Minnesota (60-55) will enter the day’s slate one game behind the Cleveland Guardians for the top spot in the American League Central. Mahle will make his third start after being acquired from the Cincinnati Reds and is coming off a start where he threw six scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Angels. The Twins rank seventh in OPS (.738), and the team’s RBI leader Jorge Polanco is listed as day-to-day after missing Tuesday’s matchup with a knee injury.

Royals vs. Twins

Pitchers: Daniel Lynch vs. Tyler Mahle
First pitch: 1:10 p.m. ET
Royals local broadcast: Bally Sports Kansas City
Twins local broadcast: Bally Sports North
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)

Odds, picks & predictions

Run Line: Twins -1.5 (-195)
Run total: 8
Moneyline odds: Twins -195, Royals +165

Moneyline pick: Royals +165

There is enough of a return to make Kansas City a valuable bet on Wednesday afternoon considering the recent performances from Lynch on the mound. He did not allow a run in two of his last three starts, and he can put the Royals in a strong position to end the series with a win.

Player prop pick: Tyler Mahle Over 6.5 strikeouts (+105)

The Twins starter is putting up solid strikeout numbers this season with a 9.8 K/9, and he will face a lineup that has been striking out a ton recently despite averaging the ninth-fewest runs per game (7.9). The Royals struck out 25 times in this series including 15 K’s last night, and Mahle has good odds to get to seven strikeouts on Wednesday afternoon.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), ConnexOntario 1-866-531-2600 (ONT), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ NH/WY; 19+ ONT). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/ONT/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions. DraftKings operates pursuant to an Operating Agreement with iGaming Ontario. Please play responsibly.