Game two of this series is here, as we are only a few hours away before the Toronto Blue Jays and the Minnesota Twins square off on the diamond in what should be an intense matchup. Join us for our MLB odds series, where our Blue Jays-Twins prediction and pick will be made.

After blasting the Twins 9-3 with a lethal dosage of offense on Thursday, the Blue Jays seem to be firing on all cylinders as they take one step closer to their postseason aspirations. In line for the start on the mound in this one will be righty Tyler Mahle, who is making his first start with the ‘Jays after being shipped from Cincinnati to Toronto prior to the trade deadline. With the Reds, Mahle was 5-7 with a 4.40 ERA.

While the loss was a tough pill to swallow if you're a Twin, Minnesota will certainly put together a better showing than what they offered yesterday. Countering Mahle will be the former Twin in Jose Berrios. The righty is 8-4 with a 4.96 ERA in his second year being with the Blue Jays after being dealt from Minnesota prior to the 2021 season.

Here are the Blue Jays-Twins MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Blue Jays-Twins Odds

Toronto Blue Jays: -1.5 (+128)

Minnesota Twins: +1.5 (-154)

Over: 8.5 (-115)

Under: 8.5 (-105)

Why The Blue Jays Could Cover The Spread

Ahhhh, there's nothing quite like the sweet taste of victory. With the game one victory over the Twins on Thursday, Toronto has certainly been adding to the win column more often than not as of late. In fact, the Blue Jays have gone on a tear by winning 13 of their previous 17 games which has put them in a firm position of the top Wild Card spot in the American League. Not to mention, but Toronto also had their backs up against the wall when they were no-hit during the first 4 2/3 innings of play before the offense punished the Twins bullpen for nine runs on twelve hits. This utter display of offensive firepower is as dangerous as they come, as no one should count the Blue Jays out of a game until the fat lady sings.

A repeat of this prowess with the bats would certainly make life easier for Toronto. Of course, it was also the Blue Jays' biggest stars that left their imprint on the game. Vladimir Guerrero Jr paved the way with a double and a three-run homer while Bo Bichette contributed to the cause by adding a pair of doubles himself.

With the bats hotter than ever, Toronto's key to covering the spread will come from Jose Berrios himself. While his lofty 4.96 ERA is less than ideal, Berrios still possesses an above-average fastball and a wipeout slider than can devastate opposing hitters. Berrios last picked up the win when facing off with his former team back on June 4th when he allowed only two runs through seven innings recorded.

Why The Twins Could Cover The Spread

Don't panic Minnesota, but the battle for the AL Central crown just got a whole lot more crowded. To put it lightly, Thursday's opening series matchup against the Blue Jays was anything but competitive. This has to be discouraging for a Minnesota squad that most likely views themselves as a true contender in the AL but fell flat on their face in a tough test versus Toronto. While the phrase of “Thank God it's Friday” rings true for most Americans today, the Twins certainly can attest to that.

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Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on left with fire in eyes. Blue Jays' Kevin Gausman on right with fire in eyes. Rogers Centre background.

Joey Mistretta ·

Nevertheless, the Twins can cover the spread by playing fundamentally sound baseball in all aspects of the game. With the awareness that the Blue Jays can inflict damage at any given time at the plate, pitching cautiously but effectively will be the name of the game for Minnesota. On the season, the Twins have been a rollercoaster of emotions from the rubber, but for the most part, have proved that they have decent enough arms on the roster to compete with any team they play. Minnesota starters have only logged 23 quality starts on the season, but have still held batters to a .238 average.

With that being said, the new Twin in Tyler Mahle will certainly be tested going up against this terrorizing Blue Jays lineup. Mahle will need to miss some bats in this one, as he currently is averaging 9.83 strikeouts per nine innings pitched.

Don't forget about the Twins' ability to score runs too! While it may have been an off-night for the mighty Minnesota sluggers yesterday, the Twins are still a top-ten-hitting team in the league and can even keep pace with the Blue Jays if this one turns into a shootout.

Final Blue Jays-Twins Prediction & Pick

In what could be a potential playoff matchup in a couple of months, the pressure to come out victorious and cover the spread falls on the shoulders of the Twins in this one. At the end of the day, there are reasonable doubts that Mahle will have what it takes to shut down a potent Blue Jays lineup in his first ever start as a Twin.

Final Blue Jays-Twins Prediction & Pick: Blue Jays -1.5 (+128)