Twins vs. Guardians Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Friday, May 5, 2023

May 5, 2023, by Matt Rooney MLB Predictions

The Minnesota Twins (18-14) are set to take on the Cleveland Guardians (14-17) Friday at 7:10 PM ET, airing on Apple TV+. The Twins are listed as -122 favorites by oddsmakers, while the underdog Guardians have +102 odds for the contest.

Minnesota’s Bailey Ober gets the start, and he’ll go against Cleveland’s Peyton Battenfield.

Twins vs. Guardians Odds

Twins odds to win: -122
Guardians odds to win: +102
Spread: Twins -1.5
Total: 8.5 runs

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Game Time and Information

Date: Friday, May 5, 2023
Time: 7:10 PM ET
TV: Apple TV+

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Who Will Win Twins vs. Guardians?

Twins and Guardians Betting Trends

The Twins have gone 16-6 in games they were favored on the moneyline (winning 72.7% of those games).

Minnesota has a record of 15-4 when playing as moneyline favorites with odds of -122 or shorter (78.9% winning percentage).

The Guardians have won five, or 45.5%, of the 11 games they’ve played as underdogs this season.

Cleveland has a record of 4-3 in games where oddsmakers have it as underdogs of at least +102 on the moneyline.

In the 32 games in which bookmakers have set an over/under for the Twins, they have combined with opponents to go over the total 14 times (14-15-3).

The Guardians’ games have gone over the total in 11 of their 30 chances.

Twins Stats & Insights

The Twins rank 12th in runs scored with 147, 4.6 per game.

Minnesota ranks eighth in MLB action with 42 home runs. They average 1.3 per game.

The Twins are 27th in the majors with a .227 batting average.

Minnesota’s batters strike out 9.8 times per game, the 29th-most in MLB.

The Twins pitching staff ranks second in the majors with a collective 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

Minnesota has the fourth-ranked team ERA across all MLB pitching staffs (3.44).

Guardians Stats & Insights

The Guardians have scored the 27th-most runs in the league this season with just 116 (3.7 per game).

Cleveland’s 17 home runs rank last in MLB this season.

The Guardians rank 25th in MLB with a .228 team batting average.

Cleveland has shown good bat-to-ball skills at the plate this season with the third-best strikeout rate (7.6 per game) among MLB offenses.

The Guardians average just 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings as a pitching staff, worst in the league.

Cleveland has the 12th-ranked ERA (3.97) in the majors this season.

Twins Key Players to Watch

Ober (1-0) starts for the Twins, his third this season.

Byron Buxton leads Minnesota in home runs with eight, runs batted in with 19 and his batting average of .262 is also best on his team.

Joey Gallo has collected 12 hits this season and has an OBP of .329. He’s slugging .603 on the year.

Carlos Correa has collected 22 base hits, an OBP of .289 and a slugging percentage of .383 this season.

Jose Miranda has collected 26 hits this season and has an OBP of .281. He’s slugging .322 on the year.

Guardians Key Players to Watch

The Guardians’ Battenfield (0-2) will make his fourth start of the season.

Jose Ramirez leads the Guardians with three home runs and has racked up a team-best batting average of .286.

Steven Kwan has four doubles, a triple and 20 walks while hitting .274.

Josh Bell has a team-best three homers.

Andres Gimenez is hitting .236 with seven doubles, two home runs and eight walks.

Twins and Guardians Injuries

Twins: Kyle Farmer: 10 Day IL (Face), Tyler Mahle: 15 Day IL (Arm), Kenta Maeda: 15 Day IL (Tricep), Ronny Henriquez: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Royce Lewis: 60 Day IL (Knee), Gilberto Celestino: 60 Day IL (Thumb), Chris Paddack: 60 Day IL (Elbow)

Guardians: Aaron Civale: 15 Day IL (Oblique), Triston McKenzie: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Cody Morris: 60 Day IL (Shoulder)