The Minnesota Twins (41-46) will host the Tampa Bay Rays (48-39), Friday at 4:10 p.m. ET, in the first of a three-game series.
Oddsmakers project the Twins as a close favorite (-116 moneyline odds to win) against the Rays (-104). The Minnesota Twins will give the start to Chris Paddack (3-7, 4.70 ERA), who is looking for win No. 4 on the season, and the Rays will turn to Zack Littell (7-7, 3.61 ERA).
The Twins lost their last game against the Marlins by a 4-1 score yesterday. Matt Wallner went 1 for 4 with a home run and an RBI to lead them offensively. David Festa picked up the loss after throwing six innings, giving up four earned runs on five hits while striking out seven.
Wednesday, the Rays defeated the Athletics 6-5. Ryan Pepiot was the winning pitcher after throwing six innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits while striking out nine. Josh Lowe paced the Rays’ offense, going 2 for 4 with a home run and an RBI.
Before watching this Twins vs. Rays matchup, here is what you need to know about Friday’s action on the diamond, including viewing options.
Minnesota Twins vs. Tampa Bay Rays odds, line and spread
MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Thursday at 6:16 p.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.
Favorite: Twins (-116, bet $116 to win $100)Underdog: Rays (-104, bet $104 to win $100)Over/under: 9.5Twins vs. Rays: Game time and live stream infoGame day: Friday, July 4, 2025Game time: 4:10 p.m. ETLocation: Minneapolis, MinnesotaStadium: Target FieldTV channel: MNNT and FDSSUNLive stream: Watch LIVE with Fubo! (Regional restrictions may apply)
Twins stats and trendsTwins betting recordsThe Twins have been favorites in 55 games this season and won 28 (50.9%) of those contests.Minnesota has a record of 26-19 in games when sportsbooks favor them by at least -116 on the moneyline.The moneyline for this contest implies a 53.7% chance of a victory for the Twins.Minnesota and its opponents have hit the over in 36 of its 86 games with a total this season.In 86 games with a spread this season, the Twins are 46-40-0 ATS.Chris Paddack (Twins probable starter)Paddack makes the start for the Twins, his 18th of the season. He is 3-7 with a 4.70 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 90 2/3 innings pitched.His most recent time out came on Sunday against the Detroit Tigers, when the right-hander tossed 4 2/3 innings, surrendering three earned runs while allowing six hits.The 29-year-old has put up an ERA of 4.70, with 6.3 strikeouts per nine innings, in 17 games this season. Opposing hitters have a .253 batting average against him.Paddack has four quality starts under his belt this year.Paddack enters the game with 13 outings of five or more innings pitched this campaign.In one of his 17 total appearances this season he has not surrendered an earned run.He will take the mound against a Rays offense that ranks third in MLB with 760 total hits (on a .259 batting average). The squad also slugs a collective .412 (eighth in MLB) with 100 total home runs (12th in MLB).Head-to-head against the Rays this season, Paddack has pitched 5 1/3 innings, giving up two earned runs on five hits while striking out five.The 29-year-old ranks 61st in ERA (4.70), 37th in WHIP (1.233), and 62nd in K/9 (6.3) among qualifying pitchers in MLB action this season.Twins batting statsThe Twins’ 97 home runs rank 13th in Major League Baseball.The offense for Minnesota has a slugging percentage of .390 this season, 19th in MLB.The Twins’ .238 batting average ranks 23rd in the league this season.Minnesota ranks 20th in the majors with 359 total runs scored this season.The Twins have the 22nd-ranked on-base percentage in MLB this season (.308).Minnesota ranks 16th with an average of 8.3 strikeouts per game.Rays stats and trendsRays betting recordsThe Rays have been underdogs in 38 games this season and have come away with the win 19 times (50%) in those contests.Tampa Bay has a win-loss record of 17-16 when favored by -104 or worse by sportsbooks this year.The Rays have an implied victory probability of 51% according to the moneyline set for this matchup.Tampa Bay and its opponents have gone over in 36 of its 87 games with a total set by sportsbooks this season.The Rays are 44-43-0 against the spread in their 87 games that had a posted line this season.Zack Littell (Rays probable starter)Littell (7-7) takes the mound first for the Rays in his 18th start of the season. He’s put together a 3.61 ERA in 104 2/3 innings pitched, with 71 strikeouts.In his most recent appearance on Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles, the righty threw seven innings, giving up one earned run while surrendering three hits.During 17 games this season, the 29-year-old has a 3.61 ERA and 6.1 strikeouts per nine innings, while allowing a batting average of .251 to opposing batters.Littell is trying to record his 12th quality start of the year in this matchup.Littell will try to go five or more innings for his 15th straight start. He’s averaging 6.1 innings per outing.He surrendered at least one earned run in all of his outings in 2025.He will face a Twins offense that ranks 20th in the league with 359 total runs scored while batting .238 as a squad. His opponent has a collective .390 slugging percentage (19th in MLB action) and has hit a total of 97 home runs (13th in the league).Littell has thrown 6 1/3 innings, giving up one earned run on three hits while striking out four against the Twins this season.Among qualifying pitchers in MLB action this season, the 29-year-old’s 3.61 ERA ranks 35th, 1.070 WHIP ranks 15th, and 6.1 K/9 ranks 65th.Rays batting statsThe Rays are 12th in baseball with 100 home runs. They average 1.1 per game.This season, Tampa Bay is eighth in the majors with a .412 slugging percentage.The Rays rank second in the majors with a .259 batting average.Tampa Bay is the seventh-highest scoring team in MLB, averaging 4.8 runs per game (416 total).The Rays’ .323 on-base percentage is ninth-best in baseball.