KC Royals @ Minnesota Twins Odds, Line, Total, Favorite and Predictions – Free MLB Picks 4/12/11

Free MLB Picks and Odds: Kansas City Royals @ Minnesota Twins Favorite, Moneyline, Total and Predictions 4/12/11: The Royals roll into Minneapolis after a hot weekend in the Motor City, K.C. was able to steal the last two games in the series and now have 6 victories fresh out of the gates. Slow starts, a deterrent in recent years, have not been the case thus far and it looks as though this Royals club has the ability to compete on a consistent basis. The Royals’ success can be attributed to their new found devotion to offense. The team is top 5 in the league in slugging percentage at .429 and they are top three in stolen bases. Predictability and ineptness’ were common traits of the Royals’ of years’ past, but this club is anything but. They are providing fans with a high intensity and entertaining brand of baseball. They simply do not have the power at the plate and the arms on the mound to outduel teams, but they can and will compete by unique game planning and key special teams play. The huge investment and years put into the development of Alex Gordon may finally be paying off. His .357 batting average, 5 doubles, and 1 homer are signs that the highly touted all-American has finally come to the forefront. Often criticized for his inconsistent play at the plate and his questionable approach to the game, Alex Gordon is proving that he is the player the Royals thought the drafted 5 years ago.

The Minnesota Twins have had a rough start to their 2011 campaign and are in need of some serious contributions from ALL members. All facets of the Twins’ game have not come up from Florida as of yet and all team personnel are beginning to grow weary of this teams’ make up. Yet, for all of the Twins’ faults and poor play, the Twins’ are notorious slow starters. They have not had an above .500 record after ten games in the last 3 seasons. The tandem of Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau will eventually heat up and I expect both of these fine players to be just fine. The pitching rotation is questionable, but it finally seems as though Nick Blackburn has found his arm again and he seems to be the teams’ ace thus far. Carl Pavano has looked extremely shaky and it may finally be time for the ageless veteran to hang up the glove for good. To turn things around the Twins’ must have a statement series sweep of the Royals, which is quite feasible. The Twins have owned the Royals the past few seasons, in fact they have posted a 78% winning percentage over the crew from K.C. since 2000.

Tonight we will recommend a play on the K.C. Royals in the opening affair with the Minnesota Twins. The Royals will send Jeff Francis to the mound tonight, the Canadian product has looked quite good thus far and his summer of redevelopment looks like it has added some life to his pitches. He owns a 1.98 ERA and he is pitching deep into contests, a trait he never really was accustomed to before. The Twins will counter with Brian Duensing who has been shaky, to say the least, thus far this season. He was roughed up by the Yankees last week for 6 hits and 4 earned runs in 7 innings of baseball. He is a highly predictable pitcher and teams are able to lock down on him early and often in games. We will consider the Royals extending their current streak and adding to the woes of the Twins. Cheers!

Free Pick: Kansas City Royals +130(moneyline)
Get extra FREE MLB Picks daily from expert handicappers on NSAwins.com’s 2011 MLB Baseball Predictions page.