It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Guardians-Twins prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Guardians Twins.
The Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins are in a real battle for the American League Central Division championship. The Kansas City Royals are part of the action as well, but Cleveland and Minnesota have taken center stage this weekend in Minneapolis. The Guardians had a hefty lead in the AL Central for much of the season, but they have been going through one of their rougher patches of play this past week, enabling the Twins to close the gap and become serious contenders for the division title. The battle between these teams this weekend has been impressive to watch, and it sets the stage for Sunday's finale of the four-game set.
The Twins struck first and struck twice on Friday, sweeping a day-night split doubleheader against the Guardians. Minnesota pitching kept Cleveland's bats under wraps. The Guardians endured their second doubleheader sweep loss in three days, a disastrous four-game losing streak packed into a 60-hour period. The Twins' Friday sweep of the twin bill sliced Cleveland's once-large division lead down to 1.5 games. Saturday was a hugely important game for the Guardians, a time when a good team which has sat in first place virtually the whole season needed to take a stand.
The Guardians did exactly that. They won a well-pitched 2-1 game which had an October feel. Gavin Williams answered the call for Cleveland with a strong start. The Cleveland bullpen finished the job and pushed the Guardians' lead back to 2.5 games. The Twins need to win on Sunday to feel they had a good weekend. If Cleveland wins here, the Guardians get a four-game split in the series and will regain a 3.5-game lead knowing they have four fewer road games left against their closest competitor. It's not that much of a stretch to say this game will have a significant effect on the AL Central race.
Guardians-Twins Projected Starters
Tanner Bibee vs. David Festa
Tanner Bibee (9-4) has a 3.48 ERA. He missed his last start, so Bibee's level of sharpness will be a talking point heading into this game. Overall, he has been a superb pitcher for a surprisingly good Cleveland team. The Guardians would not be in first place without Bibee delivering a sub-3.50 ERA over four months of work.
Last Start: Monday, July 29 versus the Detroit Tigers: 6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 0 HR, 0 BB, 2 K
2024 Road Splits: 11 starts, 63 IP, 52 H, 22 R, 8 HR, 15 BB, 66 K
David Festa (2-2) has a 5.55 ERA. He hasn't started much this season, but in his most recent start, he threw five scoreless innings against the Chicago Cubs. Skeptics will note how bad the Cubs' offense has been in 2024, but Festa did not have good numbers going into that appearance. He might have figured something out. Regardless, this start is a huge and important test for Festa, with a lot riding on the outcome. It's a big moment for his career and the Twins' season.
Last Start: Monday, August 5 versus the Chicago Cubs: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 HR, 2 BB, 9 K
2024 Home Splits: 1 start, 9 1/3 IP, 13 H, 8 R, 4 HR, 2 BB, 13 K
Here are the Guardians-Twins MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Guardians-Twins Odds
Cleveland Guardians: -1.5 (+140)
Moneyline: -118
Minnesota Twins: +1.5 (-176)
Moneyline: +100
Over: 8 (-115)
Under: 8 (-105)
How to Watch Guardians vs. Twins
Time: 2:10 p.m. ET/11:10 a.m. PT
TV: Bally Sports Great Lakes (Guardians) / Bally Sports North (Twins) / MLB Extra Innings
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Guardians Will Cover The Spread/Win
Bibee versus Festa? Clear advantage to Cleveland. The pitching matchup works in the Guardians' favor. The Guardians will hit Festa, whereas the Cubs could not.
Why The Twins Will Cover The Spread/Win
Tanner Bibee missing his last start raises uncertainties about how good he will be. Meanwhile, David Festa delivering a strong start last week suggests he has figured something out and will be good in this game.
Final Guardians-Twins Prediction & Pick
Stay away from this game. There are way too many uncertainties surrounding both starting pitchers.
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Final Guardians-Twins Prediction & Pick: Guardians moneyline
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