The visiting Red Sox hope for a solid performance on Wednesday as they look to steal a win at Target Field against the Minnesota Twins.

Jon Lester gets the ball in front of a hostile crowd for the Red Sox on this day; he's 11-5 on the season. The Twins, meanwhile, will counter with Nick Blackburn, who will be looking to improve on his 7-9 mark.



View Boston vs Minnesota Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Sportsbooks had installed the Twins as +170 moneyline underdogs in this particular MLB matchup. The total, meanwhile, was set early at 8.5 before betting started to move the line.

Power Rankings:
This game puts the Twins, most recently No. 14 in the American League Odds Shark MLB Power Rankings, up against the Red Sox, who rate an American League No. 2 in the latest survey.



How They Match Up:
The game also pits Minnesota's No. 11-rated American League offense, averaging 3.9 runs per game, against a Red Sox defense that ranks No. 7 in the American League at 4.2 in runs allowed per game. The Twins have averaged 8.5 hits per game so far, less than Red Sox batters have averaged on the year (9.9 hits per game).

Defensively, Boston features the American League's No. 2-rated defense on the road, allowing 3.7 runs per game. Minnesota, meanwhile, comes in at No. 11 in the American League at home, scoring 3.7 runs per game.

Boston won its last outing, a 4-3 result against the Twins on August 9. Bettors who backed the Red Sox at -133 on the moneyline won on the day, and the total score (7) sent UNDER bettors to the payout window. The Red Sox enjoyed a 4-3 victory at the expense of the Twins on Tuesday, with Erik Bedard throwing 5 innings of 3-hit ball at Target Field.




Boston Red Sox Trends:
When playing on Wednesday are 6-4
Before playing Seattle are 8-2
After playing Minnesota are 6-4
After a win are 6-4

Minnesota Twins Trends:
When playing on Wednesday are 3-7
Before playing Cleveland are 7-3
After playing Boston are 3-7
After a loss are 3-7

A few Red Sox at Twins trends to consider:
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Boston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boston's last 8 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota's last 8 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Minnesota's last 14 games when playing Boston


Next up:
Boston at Seattle, Friday, August 12
Minnesota at Cleveland, Friday, August 12