The Minnesota Twins will continue their three-game series against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday afternoon at Comerica Park. It's an American League Central showdown as we share our MLB odds series and make a Twins-Tigers prediction and pick.
Twins-Tigers Projected Starters
Joe Ryan vs. Tarik Skubal
Joe Ryan (6-6) with a 3.65 ERA
Last Start: Ryan went six innings in his last outing, allowing four earned runs and seven hits while striking out six in a no-decision against the Milwaukee Brewers
2024 Road Splits: Ryan has been slightly better on the road, going 2-3 with a 3.28 ERA over 10 starts away from Target Field.
Tarik Skubal (11-3) with a 2.34 ERA
Last Start: Skubal dominated in his last outing, going seven innings, allowing one earned run, 10 hits, striking out six, and walking one in a win over the Cleveland Guardians.
2024 Home Splits: Skubal has dominated at home, going 6-0 with a 1.87 ERA over nine starts at Comerica Park.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Twins-Tigers Odds
Minnesota Twins: -1.5 (+162)
Moneyline: -104
Detroit Tigers: +1.5 (-194)
Moneyline: -112
Over: 7 (-104)
Under: 7 (-118)
How to Watch Twins vs. Tigers
Time: 6:10 PM ET/3:10 PM PT
TV: Bally Sports North
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Twins Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Twins have positioned themselves in a good spot, as they are currently in the second wildcard spot. Ultimately, they have a chance to cement themselves in the playoffs. But they need to keep the momentum going and beat their divisional rivals.
Minnesota has hit the ball well, ranking eighth in batting average. Ultimately, they have some great hitters in their lineup who can rake the baseball. Willi Castro has been efficient, leading the team in hits. Now, he hopes to continue battering the baseball and put himself on base for other hitters. Carlos Santana has supplied the power, leading the Twins in home runs. Substantially, his ability to batter the baseball has remained strong, and he is on pace for 26-28 home runs. Byron Buxton is batting .278 with 11 home runs, 40 RBIs, and 45 runs, showcasing that he can still hit even in the later stages of his career.
Ryan has not done well recently. Unfortunately, he has not had a quality start since June 19. When Ryan finishes, he will turn it over to a bullpen that is 10th in baseball in team ERA. Jhoan Duran is the closer, coming into the weekend with a record of 6-5 with a 3.51 ERA and 15 saves in 16 chances.
The Twins will cover the spread if their lineup can string together some hits. Then, they need Ryan to match Skubal and avoid making critical mistakes against a lineup that can still pounce.
Why The Tigers Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Tigers are struggling to keep pace in the AL Central. Despite their inconsistency, they are still alive in the wildcard race, trailing the final spot by 5.5 games. But they will need to push themselves to the limit and conjure up a string of wins.
The Tigers have been inconsistent at the plate this season, ranking 24th in batting average and 18th in home runs. Sadly, the power is gone, and they are not even getting on base. It did not help that they lost Kerry Carpenter in May due to a back fracture. While he was not exactly destroying the baseball, he still was batting .283 with eight home runs, 29 RBIs, and 21 runs. That put him on pace for 24 home runs, 87 RBIs, and 63 runs.
Riley Greene has done his best to take the reins of this offense. He is batting .264 with 17 home runs, 51 RBIs, and 57 runs. Yet, he is not enough by himself to power this offense. Someone else must step up.
Skubal has been amazing lately. Amazingly, he has produced five consecutive quality starts. When Skubal finishes, he will turn it over to a bullpen that is 18th in baseball in team ERA. Jason Foley is 2-3 with a 3.31 ERA and 15 saves in 18 chances and will be relied on to close the game if needed.
The Tigers will cover the spread if their offense can string together some runs. Then, they need Skubal to remain dominant.
Final Twins-Tigers Prediction & Pick
Despite the Twins being the better team, they came into the weekend going 5-5 against the Tigers. Additionally, the Tigers are 6-4 against the run line against the Twins. The Tigers have also been better than the Twins at covering the spread in general. But the Twins came into the weekend with a 27-24 mark against the spread, while the Tigers were 21-27 against the spread at home. Skubal tossed five scoreless innings in the first showdown, and the offense gave him eight runs. Can it happen again? We feel it will, as the offense seems to gain confidence from Skubal, and Ryan is shaky. The Tigers cover at home.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Twins-Tigers Prediction & Pick: Detroit Tigers: +1.5 (-194)
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