The San Francisco Giants (23-24) visit the Minnesota Twins (25-23) for the second of their three-game series. First pitch commences Tuesday at 7:40 p.m. ET. San Francisco opened the series with a 4-1 win in yesterday's Game 1. Below we continue our MLB odds series for tonight's Game 2 with a Giants-Twins prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Here are the Giants-Twins MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Giants-Twins Odds
San Francisco Giants: +1.5 (-188)
Minnesota Twins: -1.5 (+155)
Over: 8 (-105)
Under: 8 (-115)
How To Watch Giants vs. Twins
TV: NBCS Bay Area, Bally Sports
Stream: MLB.tv
Time: 7:40 p.m. ET/ 4:40 p.m. PT
*See how to watch Giants-Twins LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Giants Could Cover The Spread
Last 10: 6-4 (Third in the NL West)
Run Line Record: 23-24 (49%)
Over Record: 21-24-2 (47%)
San Francisco has quietly been red-hot since the start of May. After entering the month with an 11-16 record, the Giants have won 12 of 20 games – good for the ninth-best record in the league over that span. They've been even hotter over the last week after sweeping the Phillies, taking 2/3 from the Marlins, and beating the Twins 4-1 in yesterday's opener. While their bats carried the way during the first month of the season, it's been their pitching which has led the way of late. Since May 1st, the Giants rank fourth in the MLB with a 3.43 team ERA. Still, the Twins boast a lethal staff themselves and thus they'll need to keep their bats rolling if they want to cover as road underdogs tonight.
Veteran Alex Cobb (3-1) makes his 10th start of the season tonight for the Giants. The 35-year-old finds himself in the midst of the best season of his career thanks to a sparkling 1.94 ERA. Despite a 1.35 WHIP and 7.8 K/9, Cobb has done a great job limiting runs. With a 2.2 WAR through nine starts, Cobb is well on his way to surpassing his previous career-best WAR year of 4.0 back in 2013. Still, Cobb may be due for some regression considering his expected ERA sits at 3.99.
That could very well come tonight against a Twins team he's allowed to bat .368 and hold a .896 OPS against him. Still, Cobb has allowed just two runs over his last three starts and has yet to allow more than three runs in any start this season. He'll likely need to continue working his magic if the Giants want to cover as road underdogs tonight.
Why The Twins Could Cover The Spread
Last 10: 4-6 (First in the AL Central)
Run Line Record: 25-23 (52%)
Over Record: 20-25-3 (44%)
Minnesota got off to a hot start but now sits just two games over .500 thanks to a rough May. Still, the Twins hold a 2.5-game lead in the AL Central thanks to playing in the worst division in baseball. Additionally, their +40 run differential ranks seventh across the entire league and solidifies their status as a top-tier team. They are heavily carried by their elite pitching. Minnesota ranks third in team ERA, second in team WHIP, and leads the league in K/9. That said, they rank in the bottom half of the league in OPS and lead the league in strikeout rate themselves. Consequently, they need to shut down the red-hot Giants offense and get something going themselves if they want to cover as home favorites.
Righty Sonny Gray (4-0) makes his 10th start of the season for the Twins tonight. The journeyman starter has started the season red-hot with a 1.64 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. After something of a down strikeout season last year, Gray has bounced back and holds a 10.9 K/9 through his first nine starts. Additionally, Gray has been essentially unhittable at home this year – allowing just three runs in 30.1 innings of work. With opponents batting just .181 against Gray on his home turf, he could prove to be a serious difference-maker tonight.
That said, Gray has shown signs of mortality this month after holding a 0.77 ERA in six April appearances. In 14.1 innings this month, Gray has allowed six runs on 13 hits. While those aren't bad numbers by any means, his seven walks over that span certainly leave some cause for concern. That said, the Giants rank just 18th in runs and strike out at the third-highest rate in the league – setting Gray up for a bounce-back start.
Despite struggling at the plate this season, catcher Christian Vazquez will be happy to see Alex Cobb on the mound today. Although Vazquez holds a .229 batting average this season, he has crushed Cobb throughout his career. In 19 career at-bats against Cobb, Vazquez collected 12 hits and struck out just once.
Final Giants-Twins Prediction & Pick
While both starters have appeared untouchable over the first part of the season, Alex Cobb's dominance feels a bit more unsustainable than Sonny Gray's. Consequently, look for the home favorites to bounce back after a disappointing series opener.
Final Giants-Twins Prediction & Pick:
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