Athletics vs Twins Picks and Odds – Kaprielian vs Gray

• The Oakland A’s and Minnesota Twins face off at Target Field on Saturday, May 7th
•  First-year skipper Mark Kotsay’s crew lost six in a row entering Friday’s tilt, while Rocco Baldelli’s club leads the AL Central
• Read below for the A’s vs Twins odds and our betting preview

The Oakland A’s (10-16) face the Minnesota Twins (16-11) on Saturday at Target Field. The game has a scheduled first pitch of 2:10pm ET. The A’s will send James Kaprielian to the hill, while the home team counters with former Oakland ace Sonny Gray.

Minnesota is a home favorite in this spot and has the second-shortest odds (+135) to win the AL Central in the MLB Division odds, while the A’s are +6000 longshots to capture the AL West. Kotsay’s guys are expected to win 71.5 games, while the Twins are projected to win 80.5 in expected victory totals.

A’s vs Twins Odds

Odds as of May 6th at  FanDuel Sportsbook

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The 28-year-old Kaprielian has made only one start this season — and it did not go well. A first-round pick by the Yankees in 2015, the Southern California native went only two innings against Cleveland on Sunday, allowing three hits, four earned runs and four walks while striking out two in an eventual 7-3 loss.

Gray went on the injured list with a hamstring injury following his most recent start on April 16th against the Red Sox. He left after only 1.2 innings, allowing one hit (an Alex Verdugo 2-run homer) and a walk while striking out one batter in an eventual 4-0 loss to Boston.

Oakland vs Minnesota: Probable Pitchers

After missing all of Spring Training due to AC joint irritation, Kaprielian departed Sunday’s abbreviated outing against the Guardians with no outs in the third inning after just 57 pitches. There were some positives. His hit 95 mph on a fastball to strike out Owen Miller, well above the 93 mph he averaged with his heater in 2021.

He also showed off a slider he’s been working on during  rehab starts and used it as the put-away pitch on a strikeout of Franmil Reyes.

Kaprielian went 8-5 with a 4.07 ERA in 24 games as a rookie in 2021 — but does have a history of injuries. However, following Sunday outing, he said he felt fine physically, chalking up his rough outing to a lack of execution with his pitches.

Sonny Gray, Filthy 91mph Two Seamer. 😷 pic.twitter.com/8ScFtRx9rh

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 9, 2022

Gray, who starred for Oakland for four-plus seasons prior to being dealt to New York in a package that included Kaprielian in 2017, will make his third career start against the franchise he began with. He has not fared well in the two previous outings — owning a 7.71 ERA over 9.1 innings, allowing 15 hits, eight earned runs and eight walks while striking out only five. Of course, the A’s lineup he’ll be facing will look very different.

James Kaprielian vs Sonny Gray

Banged-up Twins Hope to Beat Struggling A’s

Minnesota has had bad luck with injuries over the first month of the season. Gray was out three weeks. Slugging first baseman Miguel Sano is undergoing knee surgery to repair a meniscus tear and there is no timetable for his return. Now, high-priced shortstop Carlos Correa is day-to-day after being hit by a pitch against Baltimore on Thursday.

Here are both times Carlos Correa was hit by pitches today, the second of which is expected to land him on the injured list. pic.twitter.com/ebK5E6O1l7

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) May 6, 2022

Meanwhile, the A’s have lost seven in a row and have been outscored 40-21 during the streak. A bright spot had been Chad Pinder. But Minnesota closer Emilio Pagan struck out Pinder with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth on Friday to snap his 10-game hitting streak.

The Twins have +3300 odds to win the Fall Classic, while the A’s are +200000 longshots in the World Series odds.

A’s vs Twins Last 10 Meetings

A’s vs Twins Prediction

Gray has been less-than-stellar in his previous outings against Oakland and will likely be rusty. Plus, the Twins have a compromised lineup. This feels like a good opportunity to bet on the underdog.

Pick: Oakland A’s (+154)