Cash Out Sports Picks said Kansas City was the bet to make at Target Field. The tout highlighted Ryan Bergered’s sub-.180 opponent average, a rested bullpen, and a defense that has been dependable all season. Minnesota’s lineup, fresh off a six-hit, zero-walk shutout on Saturday, has struggled mightily with runners in scoring position and owns only a 4-4 record against the Royals despite home-field advantage. With contact hitters Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia pressuring a Twins staff that carries a 4.65 ERA, the tout projected the Royals would dictate pace and capture the rubber game on the money line.

Cash Out Sports Picks said Kansas City is a live dog against Minnesota after the Twins traded away 11 big-league pieces at the deadline. Although Joe Ryan has been excellent, the tout thinks the "stripped-down offense" won't give him support against Seth Lugo, whose club has won six of his last seven starts. Kansas City’s road OPS jumps from .664 to .706, and Wednesday’s upset of Boston has them aiming for .500. With Minnesota’s roster "threadbare," the tout recommends Royals money-line.

B Wade targeted Seth Lugo over 4.5 strikeouts. Lugo had hit this mark in nine consecutive starts prior to his last outing against Toronto—the club with MLB’s lowest strike-out rate—where the streak snapped. On the road he had cleared 4.5 in eight straight before that same Blue Jays start and is averaging 5.6 Ks per road appearance, missing the number only twice away from Kauffman Stadium all year. Lugo struck out six Twins earlier this season and sat right around five in three showings against them last year. Wade trusts the long-running trend and prior success versus Minnesota to push Lugo past five strikeouts again.

Just A Bet Outside grabbed Kansas City at +120 on the money line, dubbing it the day’s best underdog. Minnesota weakened itself at the deadline, shipping out all three leverage relievers and several everyday bats, while Byron Buxton remains on the IL. Joe Ryan has been solid but not dominant—10 earned runs over his last five starts—and the Twins are only 5-5 in his 10 home outings. He has also been feasting on light competition. Seth Lugo, meanwhile, just held the Blue Jays and Cubs (two top-10 offenses) to four total earned runs across 13 innings and has logged a quality start in seven of his last nine trips. With no big left-handed bats in the current Minnesota lineup to exploit Lugo’s splits, the tout projects six innings of one-to-two-run ball. Kansas City’s bullpen owns a 3.21 ERA since July 1, markedly better than the stripped-down Twins unit. In a likely tight game, the Royals’ superior late-inning arms tip the scales, making +120 an overlay.