Vegas Play of the Day: Twins vs. Astros

By Jesse Granger

Monday, May 29, 2017 | 9:38 a.m.

We’ve entered the third season of the annual South Point-lined Play of the Day competition, effective July 1.

Starting bankrolls have reset to $10,000, with the maximum bet being to win $1,000 and the minimum wager $300. Ray Brewer won the 2015-2016 season, after Taylor Bern prevailed in 2014-2015. Bern stepped away in the middle of the 2016-2017 season with a 16-12 record and $13,317 bankroll, with Mike Grimala taking his place.

Minnesota Twins plus-107 vs. Houston Astros: $935 to win $1,000

Last night the Minnesota Twins fell 8-6 to the Tampa Bay Rays in a 15-inning marathon that forced the Twins to use nine different pitchers. The game lasted nearly six and a half hours, and today they host the first-place Houston Astros.

The Astros -- winners of four straight and 15-5 in their last 20 games -- will look to get to the Twins’ battered bullpen as fast as possible, and it’s easy to see why they are the favorites in this game.

However, before Houston gets to the bullpen, they must first go through Ervin Santana, who is 7-2 on the year with an outstanding 1.80 earned runs average. All signs point to this being a good spot for the Astros, but because of Santana I will take a chance with the underdog Twins in this one.

Santana has quietly been one of the best pitchers in the entire league this year, ranking first in the majors in opponents' batting average (.134) and ERA and is second in walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) with 0.83.

On the mound for the Astros is Brad Peacock, who has been no slouch with a 0.87 ERA this season. But Peacock is making only his second start of the season, and he only went 4.5 innings in his first outing. I’ll roll with the ace in Santana.

In their last 11 series the Twins are 9-2 in game one. I’m betting they make that 10-2 this afternoon.

Current Standings: Grimala (10-13, $9,153), Brewer (33-32-1, $8,425), Keefer (44-39-3, $8,295), Granger (16-21-1, $8,272)