Twins-Red Sox prediction: Picks, odds on Tuesday, April 18th

The Minnesota Twins (10-6) and the Boston Red Sox (8-9) begin a three-game series on Tuesday, April 18. First pitch from Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, is set for 7:10 p.m. ET. Sonny Gray (2-0, 0.53 ERA) will take the mound for Minnesota, while Boston counters with the southpaw Chris Sale (1-1, 11.25 ERA).

The Twins are -115 favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook. The Red Sox are narrow -105 underdogs, and the run total sits at 8.5.

Twins-Red Sox picks: Tuesday, April 18th

Twins

Day to day: SP Kenta Maeda (arm fatigue)

Out: 1B Alex Kirilloff (wrist), 1B Joey Gallo (intercostal), 2B Jorge Polanco (knee), 3B Kyle Farmer (face)

Red Sox

Day to day: 2B Christian Arroyo (lower body)

Out: CF Adam Duvall (wrist), RP Chris Martin (shoulder)

Sonny Gray vs. Chris Sale

Gray will be making his fourth start of the season. He has been great so far, allowing only 10 hits and one earned run in 17 innings pitched. Gray threw five shutout innings allowing only three hits while walking two and striking out five last time out against the Chicago White Sox.

Sale has struggled to begin the year. He has yet to make it past five innings in any of his three starts. Sale faced the Tampa Bay Rays his last time out and allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits in only four innings of work. He walked two and struck out six.

Seven of the last eight games that Minnesota has played have seen fewer than nine combined runs. Gray has excelled at limiting runs this season, which can't exactly be said for Sale. The good news is that the Twins' lineup has so many injuries that they're now on the weaker side of potential offensive matchups. Between how good Gray has been and my assumption that Sale has a slightly better outing, I'm taking the under.

Pick: Under 8.5

Even though I think that Sale will be better on Tuesday, I don't think he is going to shut down Minnesota. Even with their injuries, guys like Byron Buxton, Jose Miranda and Trevor Larnach can still do damage. Barring a Gray blowup on the mound, the Twins should take game one in this series.

Pick: Twins

  
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