The New York Yankees (13-9) visit the Minnesota Twins (12-10) on Monday night! First pitch commences at 7:40 p.m. ET. Below we continue our MLB odds series with a Yankees-Twins prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Here are the Yankees-Twins MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Yankees-Twins Odds
New York Yankees: +1.5 (-166)
Minnesota Twins: -1.5 (+138)
Over: 7.5 (-115)
Under: 7.5 (-105)
How To Watch Yankees vs. Twins
TV: YES, Bally Sports
Stream: MLB.tv
Time: 7:40 p.m. ET/ 4:40 p.m. PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Yankees Could Cover The Spread
Last 10 & Standing: 5-5 (Fourth in the AL East)
Run Line Record: 11-11 (50%)
Over Record: 7-15 (32%)
New York limps into Minnesota tonight for the first of a three-game series with the Twins. The Yankees come in fresh off a tough 1-2 series loss to the Blue Jays. New York managed just five runs in the series in what has become an ongoing trend of spotty offense. Their 4.2 runs per game rank 20th in the MLB, while their .227 team batting average ranks 25th. That being said, the Yankees split a four-game set in New York just 10 days ago. Although they dropped the first two games, they rebounded in the latter half of the series. The Yankees notably held the Twins to just a single run over the last two games – although they'll need starter Jhony Brito to bounce back after the Twins crushed him in the previous series.
Righty Jhony Brito (2-1) makes his fifth start of the season tonight. The 25-year-old holds an ugly 5.40 ERA and 1.40 WHIP but that is largely because of one horrific start. He gave up just two runs and eight hits in three of his four starts. That came across 14.1 innings in wins over the Giants, Orioles, and Angels. However, his lone prior start against the Twins was disastrous. In the 11-2 loss, the Twins didn't even allow Brito to complete a full inning. In 0.2 innings of work, he allowed seven runs on six hits – drastically inflating his season-long numbers. His track record against Minnesota results in some serious concern for the Yankees tonight. That being said, Brito could easily bounce back tonight and that disaster the last time he faced the Twins could end up just being a blip in a strong rookie year.
If New York's key to covering tonight is their offense, that starts with first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Rizzo was red-hot last week, batting .318 while collecting a team-high 12 total bases. Although past his prime, Rizzo appears to be in the midst of a bounce-back season after batting a paltry .224 in his first full season in New York last year.
Why The Twins Could Cover The Spread
Last 10 & Standing: 4-6 (First in the AL Central)
Run Line Record: 12-10 (55%)
Over Record: 8-12-2 (40%)
Minnesota continues their homestead following a disappointing series loss to Washington. The Twins managed just seven runs in the three-game series as the Nationals outscored them 14-7. That's been the story of the season for Minnesota as their 4.1 runs per game rank 21st in the MLB. However, the Twins have been propped up by a stellar pitching staff that holds the fourth-lowest ERA and second-lowest WHIP in the league. Still, the Twins need to figure out how to score runs if they want to cover against a team they split a four-game series with just two weeks prior.
Veteran Sonny Gray (2-0) makes his fifth start of the season tonight for Minnesota. Gray carried last season's success over into this year as he has yet to allow more than a single run in any of his four starts. Thus far he holds an 0.82 ERA and 1.18 WHP. Additionally, his 10.6 K/9 marks the second-highest strikeout rate of his career. Gray looked dominant in each of his first three starts but did show some cracks in his most recent outing. Although he still allowed just a single run in their eventual loss to Boston, Gray gave up a season-high nine baserunners. Still, he struck out seven but did toss 98 pitches in just five innings. That being said, he faces a surprisingly good matchup tonight as the Yankees uncharacteristically averaged just 4.2 runs per game – the 10th-lowest mark in the league.
The Twins received a major addition to their lineup when second baseman Jorge Polanco made his season debut last week. Minnesota's long-time infielder wasted no time getting acclimated to the 2023 season with five hits in his first 13 appearances. After batting a career-worst .235 last year, Polanco looks primed to return to his 2021 form when he blasted 33 home runs while hitting .269.
Final Yankees-Twins Prediction & Pick
Although Brito struggled the last time he faced Minnesota, expect him to be much sharper this time around and help New York keep things close tonight.
Final Yankees-Twins Prediction & Pick: New York Yankees +1.5 (-166)