The unbalanced schedule is in place for a reason; so division titles can be won or lost in head to head battles. FOX Saturday Baseball features a matchup between the top two teams in the AL Central when the Minnesota Twins host the Cleveland Guardians. The teams are tightly bunched at the top of the standings and some nights it appears as though nobody wants to win the division. The middle game of this series won’t decide the division champ, but the Twins should seriously consider winning since they have a five-game series in Cleveland the following weekend.
The AL Central matchup between the Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins is set for 7:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 10, 2022. The game will air live on FOX from Target Field. BookMaker.eu will have betting options for every game of the MLB season.
MLB Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Odds Analysis
The standings are as tight as the season series ahead of this three-game set. It’s been over two months since the teams last played but they will get reacquainted quickly with this being the second of eight meetings in 11 days. Cleveland won the last two taking a 6-5 lead in the season series. The winning streak matches the longest of either team this season with six of the matchups decided by one run and half of those going extra innings. So, yeah, it’s been close.
The team formerly known as the Indians allowed both Minnesota and Chicago to get right back in the race with a recent losing streak that reached five games with all of them coming at home. Once on the road the slide ended with a pair of wins in Kansas City improving their record in away games to a division best 37-34. Offense continues to be an issue with the club ranked in the bottom third of MLB in runs per game and OPS while sitting next to last in homers. That’s led to the Guardians cashing the UNDER in 54 percent of their games.
The Twins have been hanging around doing just enough to stay relevant. A little weather issue threw a wrench in their schedule with Tuesday’s matchup against the Yankees postponed to Wednesday as part of a doubleheader. Following another game with the Yanks on Thursday they’ll return home. And they have two things going for them. The Twins have won 58 percent of their games at Target Field and they are 31-22 against their division brethren.
Following their series in New York all but three games on the remaining schedule are against the AL Central, though a majority of those are on the road. If the Twins can play slightly better away from home they have a chance. But they can’t forego the success they’ve enjoyed at Target Field.
Probable Pitchers
Triston McKenzie (9-11, 3.18 ERA) has already started more games than he did last season. And when he’s on he’s really good as evidenced by a three-start stretch in early July when he tossed 21 scoreless innings allowing only nine hits with 21 strikeouts. And he’s allowed three earned runs or less in 20 of his 25 starts. However, two of his worst outings came in back to back starts against the Twins in late June allowing 17 hits, including five homers, and 13 runs for 11.32 ERA and 1.84 WHIP in 10.1 innings. His first start against the Twins was a bit better with three runs allowed over seven innings. However, two of those hits left the yard with Minnesota accounting for nearly a third of the homers he’s surrendered all season.
It’s safe to say Minnesota’s rotation will be manipulated with a bunch of games scheduled over the next several days. The rainout in New York didn’t help, but there’s a good chance we see Chris Archer (2-7, 4.47 ERA) take the bump on Saturday. He’s been a constant in the rotation making 24 starts, but he hasn’t gone more than five innings or thrown more than 90 pitches in any of those games. And he’s gone 10 starts without a win while the Twins are just 1-9. He pitched well last time out giving up four hits and two runs over five innings against the Yankees taking a ND in the 5-2 setback. He gave up just one hit and a run in four innings in his only start against Cleveland, but a season-high six walks forced him to an early shower.
Guardians at Twins MLB Odds Pick
Minnesota’s success at home has them in a good spot moving forward. It seems like no one wants to win the division so the Twins record at Target Field coupled with their 58.5 win percentage against division foes gives them an edge. And they haven’t been kind to McKenzie this season swatting a bunch of homers off him. Take the Twins and the OVER in this matchup.
MLB Odds Prediction: Minnesota Twins / OVER
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
Check out the latest odds at BookMaker
