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MLB action continues on Friday night as we bring you another prediction and pick for this interleague matchup between two solid teams. The Chicago Cubs (18-19) will visit the Minnesota Twins (21-17) for a primetime matchup. Check out our MLB odds series for our Cubs-Twins prediction and pick.
The Chicago Cubs are currently third in the NL Central and are coming off 1-2 series loss to their rivaled St. Louis Cardinals. Prior to that series, the Cubs struggled and have gone 4-6 in their last 10 games. They'll try to get their bats going again in this series against Minnesota. Drew Smyly (LHP) will be their likely starter in this one. He's 3-1 with a 3.05 ERA thru 38.1 IP.
The Minnesota Twins are currently leading the AL Central and could separate themselves as the team to beat if they can continue stringing wins together. They're 5-5 in the last 10 coming into this one but have gone over .500 due to their win streaks early in the season. They'll march out Sonny Gray to the mound for this one. He's a perfect 4-0 with a 1.35 ERA thru 40 IP so far.
Here are the Cubs-Twins MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Cubs-Twins Odds
Chicago Cubs: +136
Minnesota Twins: -162
Over: 7.5 (-114)
Under: 7.5 (-106)
How To Watch Cubs vs. Twins
TV: Apple TV+, Regional Coverage
Stream: MLB.TV, fuboTV
Time: 8:10 p.m. ET / 5:10 p.m. PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Cubs Could Cover The Spread
The Cubs had a golden opportunity to gain some ground in the NL Central with the Cardinals coming to town, but their series was spoiled as they dropped two of three games. Their bats woke up in their last game, however, as Patrick Wisdom continued his hot start to the season with a home run. Justin Steele was sensational on the mound and is proving himself as the Cubs' ace pitcher. Not far from him is Drew Smyly, who's managed to have very solid starts this season. He's only allowed 29 hits and has kept his walk-rate low with 9 BB. His opposition will be a tough test, but Smyly could succeed against the lineup of the Twins.
The Cubs will have to limit their errors in the field to have a chance in this one. With a high-powered offense like Minnesota's, it may take some stellar defensive efforts from the Cubs as balls are put in play. Nico Hoerner continues to get on-base at high rates; his success will be crucial to the Cubs getting some runs on the board.
Why The Twins Could Cover The Spread
The Minnesota Twins are once again atop the AL Central and are looking as favorites to win the division. They've had solid pitching thus far and will be marching their best slinger to the mound. Sonny Gray is enjoying one of the hotter starts of his career as he's kept his ERA at 1.35 and his WHIP at 1.10 through 40 innings of action. He's notched 47 strikeouts and has yet to allow a home run ball this year. Gray could give the Cubs a lot of problems scoring runs with the movement on his pitches.
The Twins are a great home team with a 12-7 record. While the Cubs have scored more runs and hit a higher percentage, the Twins have managed to win close games behind their pitching, something the Cubs have failed to do. If Gray can turn in another good performance, the Twins' bats should do just enough to see them edge the Cubs in this one. Look for Byron Buxton to continue his hot hitting as he chases an All-Star selection.
Final Cubs-Twins Prediction & Pick
The Cubs have the better on-base percentage, more hits, more runs, and a higher batting average than the Twins. However, Cubs pitching has been inconsistent and it's led to them getting outscored on the totals. The Cubs could struggle against a pitcher like Sonny Gray. For the prediction, let's side with the home team as they have the better pitcher.
Final Cubs-Twins Prediction & Pick: Minnesota Twins (-162)
