It is an AL Central clash as the Minnesota Twins face the Detroit Tigers. It is time to continue our MLB odds series with a Twins-Tigers prediction, pick, and how to watch.

Yesterday, it was the Tinws winning their fifth straight game. The Twins hit Joey Wentz of the Tigers early and hard. In the first inning, Carlos Correa doubled to score a run, and then two batters later, Ryan Jeffers hit a three-run home run to give the Twin a 4-0 lead in the first. It was another three-run home run that would blow the game wide open. In the top of the second Correa blasted one to right to give the Twins a 7-0 lead. Pablo Lopez pitched well in the game. He would go seven innings, giving up just five hits and eight strikeouts without a run in a victory. Nick Maton hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to avoid the shutout, but the Tigers fell 9-3.

With the win, the Twins extended their lead in the AL Central. At 60-54, they are now 5.5 games up on the Guardians in the division.

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

MLB Odds: Twins-Tigers Odds

Minnesota Twins: -1.5 (+140)

Detroit Tigers: +1.5 (-170)

Over: 8 (-115)

Under: 8 (-105)

How To Watch Twins vs. Tigers

TV: BSNO/BSDET

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

For the Twins, it all starts with pitching. They are sixth in the majors in team ERA, first in WHIP, and third in opponent batting average. They are also first in quality starts. In the process of winning five in a row, the Twins have surrendered just 12 runs in five games. On the hill today will be Sonny Gray. He is 5-4 on the season with a 3.18 ERA. Last time out he went seven innings and gave up two runs to get his fifth win of the year. He has already faced the Tigers once this year, going four innings and giving up two runs in a Twins loss on June 15th.

On the offensive side of things, the Twins sit 17th in the majors in runs scored this year, while sitting 21st in batting average, 20th in on-base percentage, and 12th in slugging. The Twins have quite a few players swinging the bat well as of late. Ryan Jeffers is leading the way. In the last week, he is hitting .368 with a .400 on-base percentage. He has hit two doubles and four home runs leading to nine RBIs and scoring five times.

Meanwhile, Carlos Correa and Matt Wallner both have seven RBIs in the last week. Correa is not hitting great, hitting just .160 in the last week, but he has a home run and a double. His hits have been timely though, as he has been hitting well with runners in scoring position. Wallner is hitting .300 in the last week with a .391 on-base percentage. That has also led to seven RBIs, with the help of two doubles and two home runs. Wallner has also scored five times.

It is not just the star players making contributions. Michael A. Taylor is showing some offense as well. While he is hitting just .208 in the last week, he has three home runs and six RBIs. He has also scored four times and walked twice. Meanwhile, Max Kepler also has four RBIs with the help of three home runs.

Why The Tigers Could Cover The Spread

If the Tigers are going to get a win, the offense has to be better than their average this year. The Tigers sit 29th in runs scored this year, while sitting 28th in batting average, 28th in on-base percentage, and 29th in slugging. Zach Short has been hitting well for the Tigers as of late and will be looking to keep that going. In the last week, he is hitting .455 with two doubles and three RBIs. He has scored just once though, but he has stolen two bases.

Scoring has been the main contribution of Kerry Carpenter. In the last week, he is hitting .400 with a home run and a double. This has led to two RBIs, but he has scored five times. Rounding out the hot bats is Andy Ibanez. While he has just one RBI and one run scored, he is hitting .364. The key for the Tigers will be hitting with runners in scoring position. While they have multiple guys getting one base, they are not getting them across the plate as of late.

The Tigers have been better on the pitching side of things this year. They are 23rd in team ERA but are tenth in WHIP and 19th in opponent batting average. Eduardo Rodriguez will be taking the mound for the Tigers. Rodriguez is 7-5 on the season with a 2.96 ERA. Last time out he went six innings with two runs scored in a win over the Pirates. He has yet to face the Twins this year and has struggled in the last month. In July, he went 2-1 but had a 5.66 ERA. This is a stark departure from his 2.03 ERA in May and 1.72 ERA in April.

Final Twins-Tigers Prediction & Pick

The Twins have struggled against left-handed pitching this year. They are 30th in average against lefties while sitting 25th in strikeout percentage against left-handed pitching. They have been better against lefties as of late, but still, they struggle. Rodriguez is also good at hitting corners and getting first-pitch strikes. On the edge of the zone, he is nearly two percentage points lower in contact than the league average. To top it, the Twins have the highest strike-out-looking rate in the majors. Taking a prop play on Eduardo Rodriguez over 5.5 strikeouts is right now at -130 on FanDuel, and should be looked at.

With the possibility the Twins strike out a lot today and the fact that the Tigers struggle to score, this should be a low-scoring game. The Twins will get the win, but the under is the best play here.

Final Twins-Tigers Prediction & Pick: Twins -1.5 (+140) and Under 8 (-105)