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A premier American League showdown between two first-place teams is scheduled to take place at Target Field as the New York Yankees will battle it out with Minnesota Twins on Tuesday. It is about time to take a sneak peek at our MLB odds series, where our Yankees-Twins prediction and pick will take place.
There hasn't been a team in all of baseball that has looked as dominant as the Yankees through the first two months of the season, as New York's 39-15 record is among one of their best starts to a campaign in franchise history. Already seeking their 40th victory on the year, the Yankees will send out RHP Jameson Taillon, who has been absolutely automatic with a 6-1 record and 2.30 ERA.
On the mound looking to make it two straight wins for the Twins will be the unproven youngster in righty Cole Sands, who has only started one game on the season and has compiled a 7.88 ERA in his three combined appearances.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Yankees-Twins MLB odds.
MLB Odds: Yankees-Twins Odds
New York Yankees: -1.5 (+114)
Minnesota Twins: +1.5 (-137)
Over: 8.5 (-120)
Under: 8.5 (-102)
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Why The Yankees Could Cover the Spread
On a feverish historic pace that is only rivaled by the Yankees' dynasties of old in the late 90s and early '00s, this New York squad has a chance to be special in 2022. While the Yankees should be in for a decent test against a Twins team that has impressed, New York has the capability to cover the spread in a magnitude of ways.
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To begin, look no further than this lineup that is a dynamic threat whenever they step into the box. With the second-best slugging percentage at .425, the colossal Yankees sure can hit the ball a long way. Not to mention, the Yankees have also scored the sixth most runs at 258, which has presented them with a tremendous chance to be in every game that they play. New York's best players have also shown they have what it takes, as names like OF Aaron Judge have been tearing the cover off of the ball to begin the season. In fact, Judge leads the club with a .313 average, 21 home runs, and 42 RBIs.
Even more impressively, the Yankees might be more dangerous when they are twirling the baseball from the rubber. With top marks in ERA (2.74), WHIP (1.04), and BAA (.210), New York is arguably the best pitching team in baseball. In three career starts against the Twins, Taillon is 2-1 with a 4.32 ERA. In his last start, Taillon took a perfect game into the eighth inning which ultimately gave the Yankees a win versus the Angels.
Why The Twins Could Cover the Spread
The Twins have enjoyed much success of their own, as Minnesota enters play with a 32-24 record after besting the Blue Jays 8-6 on Sunday to cap off the weekend. Now 4.5 games above Cleveland for the top spot in the AL Central, Minnesota has showcased their ability to stay even-keeled and has been able to avoid super devastating losing streaks that would most likely sink any team's confidence as the season progresses. After taking two of three from Toronto, the ultimate test will come against the Yankees, a team that Minnesota has yet to face in 2022.
The Twins will no doubt need to play their best ball of the season to give the Yankees a challenge. This obviously begins at the plate, which is a category that Minnesota has excelled in through 56 games. With the seventh-best batting average at .248 and on-base percentage at .323, the Twins will make a team play if the opposition allows traffic on the base paths. Not to mention, how good has second-baseman Luis Arraez been? The Twins infielder could be a difference-maker with his team-leading .358 batting average on the season.
Switching gears to the pitching side of things, some may argue that the Twins have been just as effective on the mound as they've been inside the batter's box. Can Sands improve upon Minnesota's collective team ERA of 3.66? Crazier things have happened. Sands possesses a raw talent that few can teach, as his pitch arsenal surely has what it takes to be a big-league pitcher.
Final Yankees-Twins Prediction & Pick
A seasoned veteran like Taillon in comparison to a young gun in Sands is a tough draw for the Twins in this one. Sands is in for the greatest challenge of his pitching career with the Yankees staring right at him, as the lack of experience will prove to be the nail in the coffin for the Twins.
Final Yankees-Twins Pick: Yankees -1.5 (+114)
