Athletics vs Twins Bets and Betting Trends – 8/20/25

Athletics

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Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins will host the Oakland Athletics on August 20, 2025, in what promises to be an intriguing matchup. Both teams are in a tough stretch this season, with the Twins sitting at 58-67 and the Athletics at 57-70. The Twins are currently ranked 22nd in MLB in team offense, while the Athletics boast a remarkable 5th ranking, aided by a potent lineup that ranks 6th in home runs with 175 this season.

In their most recent encounter, the Athletics secured a victory, putting the pressure on the Twins as they look to even the series. Minnesota will send out right-handed pitcher Bailey Ober, who has struggled this season with a 4-7 record and a high ERA of 5.15. However, advanced metrics suggest that Ober has been somewhat unlucky, as indicated by his more favorable 4.61 SIERA, projecting a potential for improvement.

On the other side, the Athletics will counter with J.T. Ginn, also a right-handed pitcher, whose ERA of 5.04 suggests he hasn’t fared much better. Ginn’s performance, alongside his 3.44 xFIP, indicates he could offer better results in the future. Expect Ginn to pitch around 5 innings and surrender approximately 2.7 earned runs, which may not bode well against Minnesota’s lackluster offense.

The game total is set at a high 9.0 runs, reflecting expectations of solid offensive output. The Twins have a high implied team total of 4.71 runs, indicating that sportsbooks believe their lineup could capitalize on Ginn’s vulnerabilities. The Athletics have an implied team total of 4.29 runs, but given their recent batting prowess, they could very well exceed that number.

As these two teams continue to battle it out, all eyes will be on the matchup between Ober’s flyball tendencies and the Athletics’ powerful offense, which could lead to fireworks at Target Field. With both bullpens currently ranked among the worst in MLB, expect a contest where runs are plentiful.

Athletics Insights

• Athletics – Moneyline (+115)
  The Athletics outfield defense profiles as the worst out of every team today.
  Explain: Defense is an integral part of preventing (or, in this case, allowing) hits and runs.
• Brent Rooker – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+100/-130)
  Typically, batters like Brent Rooker who hit a lot of groundballs are generally less successful when facing pitchers who also induce a lot of groundballs such as Bailey Ober.
  Explain: This mostly has to do with the way the hitter’s swing plane interacts with the pitch trajectory, and it can create diminished performance across all categories and hidden value few are considering.
• Athletics – 2H Moneyline
  According to the leading projection system (THE BAT), the Athletics’ bullpen grades out as the worst out of all the teams in Major League Baseball.
  Explain: Most bettors only consider the starting pitcher, but a weak bullpen sneakily creates an easier matchup for the opposing offense and boosts a game’s runs.

Minnesota Twins Insights

• Minnesota Twins – 1st Five Innings (F5) Moneyline (-125)
  Bailey Ober is an extreme flyball pitcher (43.3% FB% per the leading projection system, THE BAT) and should be helped pitching in the #23 HR venue among all stadiums in today’s game.
  Explain: This pitcher’s skill set matches up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to better-than-usual performance.
• Matt Wallner – Over/Under 0.5 Hits (-135/+105)
  Matt Wallner is penciled in 7th in the batting order in today’s game, which would be a downgrade from his 63% rate of hitting in the top-half of the lineup this season.
  Explain: The lower in the order a player bats, the fewer plate appearances he will get and the fewer opportunities he will get to hit the Over for every market. A player who hits lower in the order than he normally does may provide extra value opportunity since the market may be based on him hitting higher.
• Kody Clemens – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+130/-170)
  Kody Clemens hits a lot of his flyballs to center field (39.6% — 95th percentile) and has the misfortune of hitting them towards MLB’s 10th-deepest CF fences in today’s matchup.
  Explain: This player’s skill set does not match up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to worse-than-usual performance.

Betting Trends

• Minnesota Twins – Over/Under 2.5 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total (-105/-125)
  The Minnesota Twins have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total Under in 45 of their last 76 games (+8.55 Units / 9% ROI)
• Athletics – Run Line +1.5 (-175)
  The Athletics have hit the Run Line in 27 of their last 44 games (+8.40 Units / 14% ROI)
• Lawrence Butler – Over/Under 0.5 Singles (+130/-170)
  Lawrence Butler has hit the Singles Under in 9 of his last 10 away games (+7.05 Units / 42% ROI)