Minnesota Twins vs Los Angeles Angels Picks and Prediction for Thursday, September 17, 2026

The Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Angels meet Thursday at Angel Stadium, with the opening pitch scheduled for 9:38 PM ET and the game televised on MLB.TV. Minnesota is 70-81, fourth in the AL Central and seven games behind Chicago with 11 games remaining. The Twins are 6.5 games behind Cleveland for the final AL Wild Card spot. Los Angeles is 58-93, fifth in the AL West and eliminated from playoff contention. Minnesota has lost three straight after an 8-1 loss to the Yankees, while the Angels have won two in a row after beating Seattle 2-1. Check out our free MLB picks.

Minnesota Twins Trying to Stop a Three-Game Slide

Minnesota has lost four of its last five games, with a 4-3 victory over Cleveland as the only win during that stretch. The Twins have been outscored 25-6 across their current three-game losing streak, including 8-3 and 8-1 losses to the Yankees. Luke Keaschall leads Minnesota with a .276 batting average, .370 on-base percentage and 135 hits. Kody Clemens has a team-high 26 home runs and 76 RBI, while Josh Bell leads the club with 87 RBI and has hit 20 homers.

Brooks Lee has added 23 home runs and 79 RBI, while Ryan Jeffers is batting .262 with 14 homers and an .845 OPS. The Twins rank 15th in MLB batting at .244 and have scored 686 runs with 175 home runs. Minnesota also owns a .318 on-base percentage and .404 slugging percentage. Pitching has been a bigger problem, with Minnesota ranking 26th in MLB at a 4.71 ERA. The Twins also have a 1.38 WHIP and .251 opponent batting average and are 31-43 away from home.

Injuries: Trevor Larnach (questionable), Kaelen Culpepper (questionable), Mike Paredes (out), Mick Abel (out), Byron Buxton (out).

Los Angeles Angels Finding Better Results at Home

Los Angeles has won two straight after beating Seattle 6-4 and 2-1. Those victories followed three consecutive one-run losses, including a pair of 6-5 defeats in Washington. Zach Neto remains the biggest power threat in the lineup, leading the Angels with 26 home runs, 74 RBI and 140 hits while adding 20 stolen bases. Mike Trout is batting .243 with a team-best .379 on-base percentage, 21 home runs and 52 RBI. Nolan Schanuel has also hit .276, though he is currently out.

Wade Meckler has been productive in 87 games, batting .297 with a .373 on-base percentage.  The Angels rank 28th in MLB batting with a .234 average and have scored 612 runs, well below Minnesota’s season total. Los Angeles has hit 146 home runs with a .308 on-base percentage and .372 slugging percentage. The pitching staff has been stronger, ranking 19th with a 4.22 ERA and 1.34 WHIP while holding opponents to a .236 batting average. Los Angeles owns a 32-44 home record.

Injuries: Nolan Schanuel (out), Sam Bachman (out), George Klassen (out), Yoan Moncada (out), Gustavo Campero (out).

Pitching Matchup

Minnesota Twins - Taj Bradley

Taj Bradley is 11-6 with a 3.81 ERA and 1.25 WHIP across 165.1 innings. The right-hander has 190 strikeouts while allowing 134 hits, 72 walks and 23 home runs. Bradley’s strikeout production has been a major strength this season.

Los Angeles Angels - Walbert Urena

Walbert Urena is 9-10 with a 2.88 ERA and 1.24 WHIP through 137.1 innings. Urena has allowed 103 hits and only nine home runs while striking out 131 and walking 67. His ability to limit hits and homers has kept his ERA below 3.00.

Minnesota Twins vs Los Angeles Angels Game Pick

• Los Angeles Angels

Los Angeles is the pick behind Urena and the stronger overall pitching numbers. Urena owns a 2.88 ERA with only nine home runs allowed in 137.1 innings, while the Angels rank 19th in MLB pitching with a 4.22 ERA. Minnesota sits 26th at 4.71 and has lost four of its last five games. The Twins have also scored only six runs during their three-game losing streak. With Los Angeles winning two straight and Urena pitching well this season, the Angels get the call at home Thursday.

Minnesota Twins vs Los Angeles Angels Over/Under Pick

• Under

Under is the play with two starters capable of limiting damage. Urena has a 2.88 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and only nine home runs allowed, while Bradley owns a 3.81 ERA with 190 strikeouts across 165.1 innings. Los Angeles ranks 28th in batting average at .234 and has scored only 612 runs this season. Minnesota has also struggled badly at the plate recently, scoring six runs over its last three games. With both starters posting solid season numbers, a lower-scoring matchup is the pick.