The Detroit Tigers (22-30) are at Target Field Tuesday for the first game of a mini two-game series against the Minnesota Twins (33-22). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:40 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the Tigers-Twins MLB betting odds and lines, with picks and best bets.
Tigers at Twins: Projected starting pitchers
LHP Tarik Skubal vs. RHP Homer Bailey
Skubal: 1-3 with a 6.17 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 9.6 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 23 1/3 IP over 6 starts.
- Last start (Sept. 16): Loss, 4-0, with 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 8 K and 0 BB against the Kansas City Royals.
- This is Skubal’s rookie season, but he has already made two starts against the Twins. He’s 1-0 with 11 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 8 K and 2 BB.
Bailey has started only one game this season as he went to the 45-day injured list with a biceps injury. That start was a 6-3 Twins win over the St. Louis Cardinals July 28 in which he pitched five frames with only two earned runs.
- Career vs. Tigers: 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 26 K and 9 BB in 33 IP over 5 starts.
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Tigers at Twins: Key injuries
(Get the latest injury news here.)
Tigers
- 2B Jonathan Schoop (hamstring) out
- OF JaCoby Jones (hand) out
- 1B C.J. Cron (knee) out
Twins
- 2B Luis Arraez (knee) out
- DH Nelson Cruz (knee) questionable
Tigers at Twins: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 2:45 p.m. ET.
Prediction
Twins 5, Tigers 2
Money line (ML)
The Twins (-182) beat the Chicago Cubs in back-to-back games and the Tigers (+160) lost three of four against the Cleveland Indians coming into Tuesday.
Minnesota owned Detroit in 2018-19 (26-12 record) but the 2020 season series is tied 4-4. All of Minnesota’s wins against Detroit have come in its home ballpark, in fact, the Twins are a 21-5 home team this year.
Minnesota has a top-5 pitching staff in several categories and Detroit is bottom-10 in batting average and OPS, and is missing its 3-hole hitter, Schoop.
I like Minnesota here but since Detroit is even with them this year in the season series, and the Twins (-182) are so expensive, I am PASSING ON THE MONEY LINE.
Run line/Against the spread (ATS)
Both teams had Monday off and Minnesota (-1.5, +110) is 2-0 on the RL with a 2.5-run margin in games after a day off. The Tigers +1.5 (-134) have the second-worst run line record in the majors (13-21 RL) and getting plus-money for such a good home team is too enticing.
We’re gambling a little here but let’s TAKE TWINS -1.5 (+110). A $100 bet on the Twins -1.5 (+110) returns a $110 bet if Minnesota wins by 2 or more runs.
Over/Under (O/U)
We are going to follow the trends on our way to BETTING UNDER 9 (-110) in Tigers-Twins. The Under is 6-1 in the last seven meetings and 5-0 in the Twins’ last five games against a left-handed starter.
Minnesota division games cash the most Unders in MLB (9-27-2 Over/Under record) and Detroit is just 14-20 O/U against AL Central foes.
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