MLB: Minnesota Twins vs. New York Yankees Betting Preview
A pair of 8-4 teams will square off in the first game of a four-game series Thursday as the Minnesota Twins take on the New York Yankees. New York will host this one at Yankees Stadium with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 pm ET.
The Yankees are the favorites in this one playing at home. They are -142 to win, while the Twins’ moneyline sits at +120. The runline features Minnesota +1.5 (-182), and the over/under for total runs is 8.5.
Twins Try To Stay Hot
Having won four of their last six and the last two games in a row, the Minnesota Twins come into the Bronx feeling pretty good about themselves. They sit atop the AL Central and hope to stay strong on the road, where they are currently 4-2 this season.
Taking the mound for the Twins in the opener will be righty Joe Ryan. This season, he is 2-0 with a 3.75 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and he has 16 strikeouts in 12 innings.
Ryan was particularly solid in his last start against the Houston Astros. While he allowed a grand slam to Yordan Alvarez in the win, he went relatively unscathed otherwise, striking out 10 over six innings.
Offensively, Byron Buxton has been red hot to start the year. In 43 at bats, he is hitting .302/.333/.512 with a couple of home runs, five runs batted in, and eight runs scored.
Unfortunately, the Twins have been dealing with some injuries as Joey Gallo was recently put on the injured list, Carlos Correa has been dealing with back issues, and Kyle Farmer had to leave Wednesday’s game after being hit in the face by a wild pitch.
Despite Strong Start, Yankees Have Tough Road Ahead In AL East
At 8-4, the New York Yankees have had a great start to the season, going 4-2 both at home and on the road thus far this year. Despite their strong start, they are already four games behind the still undefeated (12-0) Tampa Bay Rays. While it is extremely early in the season, a brutally tough AL East means every win, even in April, is crucially important.
Toeing the rubber for Aaron Boone’s club Thursday will be 25-year-old righty Jhony Brito. In two games, he is 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, and he has struck out eight in 10 innings.
Brito’s last start was against the Baltimore Orioles, when he allowed one run over five innings, allowing three hits, two walks, and struck out two.
Franchy Cordero and Aaron Judge have both gotten off to great starts in the power department. Cordero has four home runs and 11 runs batted in, while Judge has also added four home runs and seven runs batted in.
Currently, the Yankees rank ninth in the majors in scoring, averaging 5.18 runs per game (4.83 at Yankee Stadium).
Take The Yankees To Win At Home
With two teams who are both playing exceptional baseball, this game might boil down to two things: health and home-field advantage.
The Twins have been playing good ball, but they are awfully banged up right now. While they have been able to skate by in the short term, it is eventually going to catch up to them.
The other factor is playing in Yankee Stadium. Last season, New York was a spectacular 57-24 when playing at home, and they have started off solid again this year at 4-2.
Joe Ryan could certainly dazzle again, but the best bet is to take the Yankees to win this one straight up at home.
Take New York at -142.