Minnesota will try to be nasty hosts on Friday when the Tampa Bay Rays pay a visit to Target Field.

Jeremy Hellickson, with a record of 6-7 on the season, gets the ball for the Rays, while the Twins trot Cole De Vries to the mound in this one. He is 2-2 so far in 2012.



View Tampa Bay vs Minnesota Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Sportsbooks had installed the Twins as -110 moneyline favorites in this particular MLB matchup. The total, meanwhile, was set early at 8.5 before betting started to move the line.

Power Rankings:
The Twins - Rays odds would favor the Rays if the lines were set according to our power ranks. Minnesota is rated No. 12 in the current American League Odds Shark poll, while Tampa Bay is at No. 4 in the American League.



How They Match Up:
Scoring stats point to some edges in this matchup. The game features Minnesota's American League No. 8-ranked scoring average of 4.5 runs per game, against a Rays offense rated No. 13 and scoring 4 runs per game in the league. The Twins have averaged 9.1 hits per game to date this season, more than the Rays hitters have managed (7.7 per nine innings).

Minnesota owns the American League's No. 14 defense, allowing 5.1 men per game to cross the plate. That contrasts with Tampa Bay's American League No. 2-rated defense.

Tampa Bay was a 7-1 Sportsbook in its last match at home against the Blue Jays. They won as -190 favorites, while the total score of 8 made Sportsbooks of OVER bettors. The Rays grabbed a win last time out, defeating Henderson Alvarez and the Blue Jays 7-1 on Thursday at Tropicana Field.

Minnesota lost its last outing, a 6-2 result against the Indians on August 8. Bettors who backed the Indians at -126 on the moneyline won on the day, and the total score (8) sent UNDER bettors to the payout window. Minnesota suffered a 6-2 loss against Cleveland on Wednesday, as Brian Duensing wasn't able to lead his team to victory at Progressive Field.


Tampa Bay Rays Trends:
When playing on Friday are 4-6
Before playing Minnesota are 7-3
After playing Toronto are 9-1
After a win are 6-4

Minnesota Twins Trends:
When playing on Friday are 3-7
Before playing Tampa Bay are 5-5
After playing Cleveland are 8-2
After a loss are 6-4

A few Rays at Twins trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Tampa Bay's last 7 games
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
Tampa Bay is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing Tampa Bay
Minnesota is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
Minnesota is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games when playing Tampa Bay


Next up:
Tampa Bay at Minnesota, Saturday, August 11