Twins vs Tigers Prediction & Best Bet (June 23): Don’t Expect a Pitching Clinic

Friday, June 23’s MLB schedule includes some AL Central action as the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers begin a three-game series at Comerica Park. The first Twins vs Tigers series of the 2023 campaign saw Detroit take three of four games just last week, leaving time to tell if A.J. Hinch’s team can capitalize on that momentum.

Joe Cool. 💦😎#TwinsWin | #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/2C6YhrM1SU

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) June 22, 2023

The Twins return to the road following Thursday’s impressive 6-0 home win over the Boston Red Sox. Starting pitcher Joe Ryan struck out nine batters while only allowing three hits as he pitched a complete game shutout, helping Minnesota snap a three-game skid in the process.

Meanwhile, the Tigers won for the fifth time in their last seven games with a 9-4 win against the Kansas City Royals two nights ago. Second baseman Zack Short tallied a home run and three RBIs while catcher Eric Haase had a pair of hits with a trio of RBIs as well.

Can the Twins exact revenge for last week’s series loss? Or will the Tigers prove, once again, that they have their rival’s number?

Here’s a look at everything you know heading into today’s Twins vs Tigers showdown, from the latest betting odds to a prediction with the best betting recommendation, courtesy of Betting News.

Minnesota Twins vs Detroit Tigers Game Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Minnesota Twins (38-38, 15-19 Away) vs. Detroit Tigers 32-41, 17-19 Home)
• Venue & Location: Comerica Park (Detroit, Michigan)
• Date: Friday, June 23, 2023
• Game Time: 6:40 p.m. Eastern Time
• Twins vs Tigers Broadcast Info: ESPN+, Bally Sports North, Bally Sports Detroit, MLB Extra Innings

Twins vs Tigers Odds

Game odds as of Thursday, June 22 at 10:40 p.m. ET from BetOnline. Odds from other sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Minnesota Twins -1.5 (+110)
• Detroit Tigers +1.5 (-130)

Over/Under

• Over 8.5 Runs (-120)
• Under 8.5 Runs (+100)

Moneyline

• Minnesota Twins -148
• Detroit Tigers +137

Twins vs Tigers Starting Pitchers

• Twins: Kenta Maeda (4 starts — 0-4, 9.00 ERA)
• Tigers: Joey Wentz (14 games [13 starts]—1-7, 6.82 ERA)

Twins vs Tigers Betting Trends

• Minnesota is 5-10 straight up in its last 15 road games against Detroit.
• Detroit is 6-13 straight up in its last 19 games played in June.
• The total has hit the over in eight of Minnesota’s last 10 games against the AL.
• The total has hit the over in six of Detroit’s last seven home games.
• The total has hit the over in three of the last four Minnesota-Detroit matchups.

Twins vs Tigers Game Preview

The Tigers head into tonight’s matchup sitting 4.5 games back of the Twins for first in the AL Central. The good news for Detroit is that Comerica Park hasn’t been a welcoming place for Minnesota recently.

The Twins have lost 10 of their last 15 trips to the Motor City, which involved going 4-6 in Detroit in 2022. Scoring has been one of their biggest issues over that stretch, finishing with two or fewer runs in five of their last eight visits to Comerica Park.

Playing on the road has also been a struggle for the Twins this season, going 15-19 thus far while also dropping four of their last six away games. Although the Tigers have been inconsistent at home lately, they are 7-3 thus far against fellow AL Central clubs.

The Tigers have been receiving consistent play at home from a handful of players. For example, the trio of Javier Baez, Kerry Carpenter, and Andy Ibanez are each batting .308 or better with at least 11 hits in their last nine home appearances. Meanwhile, Jake Rogers has three homers and eight RBIs while slashing .304/.346/.696 in his last 23 at-bats at Comerica Park.

Jake Rogers ties it up with a 3-run blast! pic.twitter.com/HDexeWiGvT

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 14, 2023

There’s a good chance that the Tigers’ bats can keep things going against struggling Twins starter Kenta Maeda, who’s been sidelined since the end of April with a triceps injury. The 35-year-old veteran didn’t look good through his first four starts, going 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA and 1.625 WHIP.

Having said that, Maeda did look much more comfortable during his rehab stint. In four appearances with Triple-A St. Paul, Maeda only allowed three runs on 10 hits over 13 1/3 innings of work.

Meanwhile, Joey Wentz takes to the mound as Detroit’s starting hurler. For the most part, he’s left much to be desired, tallying a 1-7 record and 6.82 ERA in 14 games (13 starts).

Fortunately, much to the Tigers’ delight, Wentz has begun reversing his fortunes. The former 2016 first-rounder has a 3.48 ERA in his last two starts after only giving up four runs in 10 1/3 innings. He also faced the Twins in his latest start, striking out nine batters while giving up two runs on as many hits in six innings.

Wentz must continue that level of play if he hopes to win for the first time since May 8.

Twins vs Tigers Prediction and Picks

Twins vs Tigers Prediction: Tigers 6, Twins 4

Twins vs Tigers: Tigers ML (Best Value: +137 ) & Over 8.5 Runs (Best Value: -120)

After getting the better of the Twins last week, let’s ride with the Tigers picking up another victory. Detroit’s had Minnesota’s number at Comerica Park and it’s hard trusting the road team in what’ll be Maeda’s first start in two months. Considering that Wentz pitched well against the Tigers last week, the home team is in a good spot to win.

Another strong Twins vs Tigers bet is taking the over on the 8.5-run total. Not only is the over 4-1 in Minnesota’s last five games but also 6-1 in Detroit’s previous seven at home. Both Maeda and Wentz haven’t performed too well overall this season, too, adding to the probability of fireworks.

After these AL Central rivals surpassed 8.5 runs twice in last week’s series, taking the over again is a smart bet.

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