The Minnesota Twins are set to face the Detroit Tigers this weekend. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes our Twins-Tigers prediction and pick we have laid out below.

The Minnesota Twins, sitting in first place in the AL Central at 50-44, will head to Detroit to face their division rival Detroit Tigers. Minnesota is clawing their way out of a bad stretch, going 3-7 in their last 10 games.

The Detroit Tigers and their 38-56 record will host Minnesota. Detroit is far from contention, and are likely going to have a new look following the August 2 trade deadline.

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

MLB Odds: Twins-Tigers Odds

Minnesota Twins: -1.5 (-104)

Detroit Tigers: +1.5 (-115)

Over: 8.5 (-118)

Under: 8.5 (-104)

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Why The Twins Could Cover The Spread

Minnesota is clinging to their division lead, with just a game and a half separating them and the second-place Cleveland Guardians. Tonight, they will send one of their best pitchers, Joe Ryan, to the mound. Ryan owns one of baseball's bests fastballs, as opposing hitters have managed just a .159 batting average against his heaters. On the season, Ryan owns a 2.99 ERA in 75.1 innings with a 1.06 WHIP.  Minnesota's pitching staff as a whole is square in the middle of the league, ranking 15th in the league with a 3.97 ERA. Jhoan Duran, he of the splinker, is one of the game's nastiest relievers. Duran has been a perfect six for six in save spots, striking out 51 batters while walking just eight in 42 innings.

At the plate, Minnesota ranks ninth in home runs, tenth in walks, and sixth in batting average. Simply, Minnesota rakes. Byron Buxton has mashed 23 home runs despite missing some time with injuries, while Carlos Correa has lived up to his contract so far, belting 11 home runs in his 70 games. As a team, Minnesota is pretty adept at limiting strikeouts, not one player has managed to punch out 100 times yet. While Detroit does not possess many true power pitchers, being able to put the ball in play usually leads to good results for this team.

Why The Tigers Could Cover The Spread

Michael Pineda, one of the team's elder statesmen, and a possible buy-low deadline deal will toe the slab in this one. Pineda has downright struggled this season, with a 5.22 ERA in his nine starts. Further, Pineda has managed just 39.2 innings in those starts. There still may be magic in his right arm, as Pineda had a 3.62 ERA for Minnesota last season. Should Pineda get bounced early, the Detroit bullpen is more than reliable. Tigers' relievers have been called on for 359 innings of work, registering a brilliant 3.08 ERA. Most of those reliable relievers will be enticing for other teams in the next couple of weeks, so Detroit may as well use them while they have them.

The batter's box has done Detroit no favors this season, as no batter is enjoying anywhere near a solid season. No Detroit hitter has reached double-digit home runs, and Javier Baez, he of the huge contract this winter, is slashing an uncharacteristic .216/.253/.374. Baez still could turn things around, and Saturday would be a good time to start. Last time out, Detroit split a doubleheader with Oakland, winning the first one 7-2 before being shut out in game two. Still, seven runs show that there is some level of capability with this lineup.

Final Twins-Tigers Prediction & Pick

These two teams are playing for two totally different things currently. For Minnesota, a playoff berth hangs in the balance of nearly every game, while Detroit is trying to get a read on the prospects of their future.

Final Twins-Tigers Prediction & Pick: Minnesota -1.5 (-104), over 8.5 (-118)