It is an interleague match-up as the undefeated Minnesota Twins play game two of their three-game set against the 1-4 Miami Marlins. We continue our MLB odds series with a Twins-Marlins prediction, pick, and how to watch.
The Twins come into the match-up tonight riding high, winners of all four of their first four games on the year. After sweeping the Royals, their dominance continued taking care of the Marlins 11-1 on Monday. The Marlins hope to rebound with their ace on the mound tonight, as Sandy Alcantara gets his second start of the year.
Here are the Twins-Marlins MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Twins-Marlins Odds
Minnesota Twins: +1.5 (-176)
Miami Marlins: -1.5 (+146)
Over: 8.5 (-118)
Under: 8.5 (-104)
How To Watch Twins vs. Marlins
TV: BSNOX / BSFL
Stream: MLB.TV
Time: 6:40 PM ET/ 3:40 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Twins Could Cover The Spread
The Twins are coming off an 11-1 trouncing of the Marlins. In the first four games of the year, the Twins have won two different styles. In the first two games, it was strictly pitching, shutting out the Royals in both of them. For the following two games, it was offense, scoring 18 runs in two games.
Joey Gallo has led this offense in those two outputs. He has hit three home runs in two games and has batted in seven of the 18 runs the Twins have scored. Left fielder Trevor Larnach has also done his part this year thus far. He has five RBIs on the season, while also adding in a homerun. To expect Larnach and Gallo to do this on a nightly basis is tough considering their track record, but as long as Byron Buxton and Jose Miranda continue to get on base at the pace they have been, and Carlos Correa, Max Kepler, or Michael A. Taylor can contribute, the offense will continue to roll.
Starting tonight for the Twins will be Kenta Maeda getting his first start of the year. The Twins starting pitching has been stellar so far this year. They have given up just two earned runs in 21 2/3 innings of work. If Maeda puts out a similar performance, the Marlins will not have enough offense to keep up. In his career, Maeda has pitched fairly well against the Marlins. He is 1-2 in his career, but both losses are in 2016. Since then he had two starts and one relief appearance against Miami, giving up just one run in 15 innings. Tonight, Maeda will continue to strong start for the Marlins, and lead them to a victory.
Why The Marlins Could Cover The Spread
The Marlins need to get better starting pitching than they have in the first five games of the season. So far, Marlins starters have pitched 20 2/3 innings, giving up 12 runs for an ERA of 5.35. This was highlighted last night when Johnny Cueto managed one inning, giving up two home runs, and taking the loss. Jeff Lindgren did come in and manage to eat five innings of work, but still, four different relievers were used in the game. Alcantara takes the hill again tonight for the Marlins. The Marlins will need him to eat up some innings, which he can do.
In his first start of the season, Alcantara took the no-decision, giving up three earned runs, with three hits and four walks in 5 2/3 innings of work. The only time Alcantara has faced the Twins, he gave up seven runs, three longballs, six hits, and five walks in just 4 2/3 innings to take a loss. He will need to improve on that performance from 2019 for the Marlins to have a chance. Alcantara is a much better pitcher now, so that should be doable.
The Marlins also need to find someone to help them score runs. So far this year, only Luis Arraez, Nick Fortes, Garrett Cooper, and Yuri Gurriel are batting over .250. Fortes and Gurriel are not everyday players though and only appeared in three games so far. Fortes, Arraez, and Cooper also are tied for the team lead in RBIs, with just two. The Marlins are struggling to score, and Soler, Chisholm, and Segura need to contribute to get this turned around. If the Marlins can get a quality start from their ace and Soler, Chisholm or Segura can have a solid game, they can win.
Final Twins-Marlins Prediction & Pick
One team is on fire to start the year and the other is struggling. The Marlins get their ace tonight, and he needs to perform. The problem is, even if he does, the bullpen is not great in Miami. The game is close for a while, but this Twins offense takes flight again, hitting a few home runs in the late innings. The bullpen for Miami lets down a strong start from Alcantara as the Twins cover with ease.
Final Twins-Marlins Prediction & Pick: Twins +1.5 (-176)
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